PERSPECTIVE article
Front. Neurol.
Sec. Neuro-Ophthalmology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fneur.2025.1596642
This article is part of the Research TopicAdvances in Understanding Visual Disorders Linked to Cortical DysfunctionView all articles
Mindfulness and MBCT-vision (Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Modified for Visual Symptoms) for Visual Snow Syndrome: A Therapeutic Perspective
Provisionally accepted
Sui H. Wong1,2,3,4*
Janet Wingrove5- 1Moorfields Eye Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
- 2Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, London, United Kingdom
- 3King's College London, London, England, United Kingdom
- 4University College London, London, England, United Kingdom
- 5South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
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Visual snow syndrome (VSS) is a neurological disorder characterized by intrusive visual symptoms and associated with dysregulation in brain networks, including the Salience Network, Default Mode Network, and thalamocortical circuits. This perspective paper examines the application of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy modified for visual symptoms (MBCT-vision) as an intervention for VSS. Drawing on clinical experience, our recent open-label study, and ongoing randomized controlled trial, we propose that VSS symptoms may perpetuate through attentional mechanisms, including heightened vigilance and threat attribution. We outline how mindfulness practices in MBCT-vision address these processes by enhancing attentional flexibility, increasing metacognitive awareness, and fostering a nonreactive stance toward symptoms. The group-based format of MBCT-vision provides additional therapeutic benefits through shared understanding and validation. We discuss potential neuroplastic mechanisms underlying observed improvements, particularly involving the Default Mode Network. This paper advances the understanding of mindfulness mechanisms in VSS and provides a foundation for developing comprehensive, evidence-based approaches that integrate neurobiological insights with person-centered therapeutic strategies for this challenging condition.
Keywords: 2686 (limit 3000, for Perspective articles) Visual Snow Syndrome, mindfulness, Attention network, salience network, Default Mode Network, lifestyle intervention
Received: 20 Mar 2025; Accepted: 02 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wong and Wingrove. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Sui H. Wong, Moorfields Eye Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
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