Visual Adaptation for Visual Snow

(VPVSS Trial)

Overseen By Hannah Moser, Ph.D.

Age: 18 - 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Minnesota

Disqualifiers: Substance dependence, CNS disease, head injury, others

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 6

100 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

The goal of this study is to learn more about the brain pathways and activity involved in creating Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS). The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does VSS arise from spontaneous activity in brain pathways? * Where in the brain does the activity contributing to VSS arise? * How does brain activity contribute to VSS? Participants will: 1. Undergo assessments and questionnaires to understand visual and mental symptoms, cognitive, and sensory function. 2. Make visual judgements based on images presented to them both inside and outside a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine. 3. Undergo scanning of their brain while inside of an MRI machine.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. However, it does exclude participants with current substance dependence or recent hallucinogenic substance use.

Is Visual Adaptation safe for humans?

The research articles provided do not contain specific safety data for Visual Adaptation in humans. They focus on the neural and perceptual aspects of visual adaptation, primarily in animal models and theoretical frameworks. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

How does the Visual Adaptation treatment for Visual Snow differ from other treatments?

The Visual Adaptation treatment for Visual Snow is unique because it focuses on adapting the visual system to dynamic visual inputs, using a model that learns and adjusts to the statistical regularities of natural visual stimuli. This approach is different from other treatments as it aims to optimize visual processing by normalizing current visual input based on past inputs, potentially offering a novel way to manage symptoms by leveraging the brain's natural adaptation mechanisms. ^{4 6 7 8 9}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Carrie E Robertson, M.D.

Principal Investigator

Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Department of Neurology

Abby Metzler, M.D.

Principal Investigator

University of Minnesota, Department of Neurology

Malgorzata Marjanska, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

University of Minnesota, Department of Radiology

Michael-Paul Schallmo, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

University of Minnesota, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Stephen A Engel, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

University of Minnesota, Department of Psychology

Michael S Lee, M.D.

Principal Investigator

University of Minnesota, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for individuals with Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS), those experiencing postprandial fullness or migraines, and healthy volunteers. Participants should be able to undergo MRI scans and complete various assessments and questionnaires related to visual and mental symptoms.

Inclusion Criteria

People with Visual Snow Syndrome: Normal (20/25 or better in each eye) or corrected-to-normal vision (MR-compatible glasses will be provided as needed)

People with Visual Snow Syndrome: Ability to comply with study instructions

People with Visual Snow Syndrome: Individuals living in Minnesota within 2 hours of the study site

Exclusion Criteria

Non-snow Controls: A diagnosed or self-reported intellectual disability

Non-snow Controls: Current psychotic episode

People with Visual Snow Syndrome: Not being fluent in English or another language for which interpretation/translation services are available

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

Assessment

Participants undergo assessments and questionnaires to understand visual and mental symptoms, cognitive, and sensory function

1-2 hours per session, across multiple sessions

3 visits (in-person)

Visual Judgement and MRI

Participants make visual judgements based on images and undergo MRI scanning

1.5-2 hours per session, across multiple sessions

3 visits (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after assessments

1-2 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Visual Adaptation

Trial Overview The study investigates brain function in VSS by using visual adaptation tasks, cognitive assessments, fMRI, and MRS. It aims to pinpoint where in the brain VSS activity originates and how it contributes to the syndrome.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: People with Visual Snow Syndrome Active Control 4 Interventions

Group II: Non-snow Controls Placebo Group 4 Interventions

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Minnesota

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,459

Recruited

1,623,000+

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Collaborator

Trials

2,896

Recruited

8,053,000+

Mayo Clinic

Collaborator

Trials

3,427

Recruited

3,221,000+

National Eye Institute (NEI)

Collaborator

Trials

572

Recruited

1,320,000+

Citations

1. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Visual adaptation: neural, psychological and computational aspects. [2022]

2. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Spatial scale and cellular substrate of contrast adaptation by retinal ganglion cells. [2022]

3. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Magnitude, time course, and specificity of rapid adaptation across mouse visual areas. [2021]

4. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Color appearance model incorporating contrast adaptation - implications for individual differences in color vision. [2022]

5. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Contrast sensitivity, V1 neural activity, and natural vision. [2018]

6. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Specificity and timescales of cortical adaptation as inferences about natural movie statistics. [2023]

7. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The relation between color discrimination and color constancy: when is optimal adaptation task dependent? [2019]

8. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Visual Adaptation. [2019]

9. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Rapid contrast gain reduction following motion adaptation. [2011]