Movement and Sound Phosphenes in MS
Usually associated with optic neuritis, movement and sound phosphenes are brief spots of light brought on by eye movement and sudden sounds respectively. These lights are more noticeable in subdued ambient light or in a darkened room.
I have personally experienced these light flashes but have also seen patches of light which persist for several seconds. The patches of light resemble ghostly apparitions floating around the far corner of my bedroom. Of course, maybe my eyes are fine and my house is just haunted.
Like Lhermitte’s sign, phosphenes are the result of mechanical aggravation of injured nerves. Movement phosphenes are usually brought on with side-to-side movement of the eyes. Brain cells that become hyper responsive to visual and auditory stimuli, may result in sound phosphenes.
Reading about other phenomena that can induce light, sound or movement phosphenes to be perceived without any external stimuli leads one to concur that rogue neurological signals account for this. This does not imply that the MS patient is hallucinating in some supernatural way, simply that the MS brain is receiving phantom signals as opposed to seeing real phantoms.
Other conditions which may be responsible for phosphenes include detached retina, compressive optic neuropathy, and stroke. They can also be induced by a very strong magnetic field.
Treatments
See Optic Neuritis
References:
Multiple Sclerosis Encyclopaedia
National Library of Medicine
Phosphenes: The Evidence – Entoptic phenomena
