Anton’s syndrome

Synonyms

3

Overview

Anton–Babinski syndrome, also known as visual anosognosia, is a rare symptom of brain damage occurring in the occipital lobe. Those who suffer from it are "cortically blind", but affirm, often quite adamantly and in the face of clear evidence of their blindness, that they are capable of seeing. Failing to accept being blind, the sufferer dismisses evidence of their condition and employs confabulation to fill in the missing sensory input. It is named after Gabriel Anton and Joseph Babinski.

Symptoms

• Partial or complete vision loss
• Denial of vision impairment
• Makes excuses for poor vision
• Denial of blindness

Causes

Anton's syndrome most often results from bilateral lesions of the occipital cortex, the site of visual processing; some cases have resulted from blunt force trauma to the head.

Why patients with Anton–Babinski syndrome deny their blindness is unknown, although there are many theories. One hypothesis is that damage to the visual cortex results in the inability to communicate with the speech-language areas of the brain. Visual imagery is received but cannot be interpreted; the speech centers of the brain confabulate a response. Patients have also reported visual anosognosia after suffering from ischemic vascular cerebral disease. 

Resources

• NIH