Visual Disorders and Mal De Debarquement Syndrome: a Potential Comorbidity questionnaire-based Study

Abstract

Aim: Mal de debarquement syndrome (MdDS) is a neurological condition characterized by a constant sensation of self-motion; onset may be motion-triggered (MT) or non-motion-triggered/spontaneous (NMT/SO). People with MdDS experience similar symptoms to those with vertical heterophoria, a subset of binocular visual dysfunction. Hence, we aimed to explore potential visual symptom overlaps. Methods: MdDS patients (n = 196) and controls (n = 197) completed a visual health questionnaire. Results: Compared with controls, the MdDS group demonstrated higher visual disorder scores and visual complaints. NMT/SO participants reported unique visual symptoms and a higher prevalence of mild traumatic brain injury. Conclusion: Our findings suggest visual disorders may coexist with MdDS, particularly the NMT/SO subtype. The difference in visual dysfunction frequency and medical histories between subtypes, warrants further investigation into differing pathophysiological mechanisms.

Plain Language Summary

MdDS is a condition where patients feel like they are always on a boat. It is typically triggered by passive motion-events (cruises, flights, etc.), but can develop after non-motion events. People with MdDS can experience symptoms like those with certain visual disorders, therefore we wanted to see if there were overlaps between these conditions. This study surveyed people with MdDS and individuals from the general population about visual health and found that the MdDS group reported a higher frequency of visual dysfunction symptoms. Compared with motion-triggered patients, non-motion patients reported unique visual symptoms. This demonstrates that visual disorders may coexist in MdDS.

Tweetable abstract

Mal de debarquement syndrome #MdDS is a rare condition where patients feel like they are always on a boat. Given the overlap of symptoms between MdDS and a common visual disorder – these researchers turned their focus toward visual comorbidities and found some eye-raising results!

Keywords:

• balance disorder
• binocular vision dysfunction
• mal de debarquement syndrome (MdDS)
• mild traumatic brain injuries
• vertical heterophoria
• vestibular disorders
• visual induced dizziness

Author contributions

CJ Browne: study conception and design, material preparation, data collection and analysis, manuscript preparation; P Fahey: study conception and design, material preparation, data collection and analysis, manuscript preparation; SR Sheeba: material preparation, data collection and analysis, manuscript preparation; MH Sharpe: study conception and design, manuscript preparation; M Rosner: study conception and design, manuscript preparation; D Feinberg: study conception and design, manuscript preparation; V Mucci: study conception and design, material preparation, data collection and analysis and manuscript preparation.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all the respondents that participated in this research. The authors would like to thank JA Shaw for providing language help, writing assistance and proof reading of the article.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Non-paid writing assistance by JA Shaw.

Ethical conduct of research

The Western Sydney University Human Ethics Committee provided ethical approval (H11962). All investigations were conducted according to the principles expressed in the Declaration of Helsinki. Each respondent provided informed consent to participate and were given the option to retract their data at any given time. Each respondent provided informed consent to allow their data to be used for publication.