Akinetopsia is visual motion blindness. This is when people see moving objects as stop-action motions. For some other people, objects seem to vanish and then reappear. Normal motion perception allows the brain to recognize when other objects are in motion. However, when akinetopisa occurs, this perception is disrupted. This word comes from the Greek language where A means “not,” kine means to “move,” and opsia means “to move.” This disability can impact someone’s ability to do day-to-day activities.
Two types of akinetopisa
There are two types of this disorder. The first one is cinematographic vision, where individuals see motion as a real movie. There may even be strobe-like effects. The second form of akinetopsia is gross akinetopsia and is more severe. It refers to the invisibility of moving objects. Instead of moving in different directions, the objects seem to vanish.
Symptoms
Akinetopsia symptoms are different among different individuals. Here are some of the following symptoms:
- Objects can freeze in motions
- Objects still appear even when they are no longer in the vision field
- Difficulty tracking and reaching for moving objects
- Strobe-light effects
Causes
Akinetopsia is caused by damage to an area of the brain called the cerebral cortex. One of the portions of this part is called V5 and is responsible for processing visual-spatial motion perception. It is believed that damage to this part is the cause of akinetopisa. Many factors can increase the risk of brain damage or lead straight to motion blindness, including traumatic brain injury, a stroke, brain tumors, epilepsy, and neurodegenerative diseases. It is a rare condition, with very few documented cases. However, from what is known, it can affect people of different ages, races, or ethnicities.
Treatment
Akinetopsia can be difficult to manage. Vestibular and visual rehabilitation can be used, but it is controversial and has no strong evidence. No medications have yet been approved for the treatment of akinetopsia.
Conclusion
Akinetopsia is a very rare disease that affects how people see motion. It can happen to anyone, and no treatments have yet been found.
Related Stories:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4150134/
https://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/related/akinetopsia/
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2024.1510807/full
