Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Anton syndrome is a rare condition found in people who have lost their vision after brain damage to theoccipitallobes. The main characteristic of Anton syndrome is that these patients do not realize that they are blind.
It occurs most often in patients who have had anoccipital stroke. However, Anton syndrome can also be a complication of other diseases that impact the brain.
This article provides more information about the symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment of Anton syndrome.
ColorBlind Images / Dan Pangbourne / Getty Images
Symptoms of Anton syndrome include:
Patients with Anton syndrome will deny that they are blind despite evidence to the contrary. They will act as though they are not actually blind.
For example, if you held an object and asked what it is, they might answer confidently with a guess. They would act as though that was the correct answer, even if they are wrong. If you ask them to describe what they are seeing, they will make up a whole visual scenario for you.
Even though this behavior may seem puzzling, they believe they are correct. Their brain is simply unable to figure out that they are blind.
When damage to the occipital lobe causes blindness, it could also result in Anton syndrome. However, Anton syndrome is considered a rare condition.
It’s unknown exactly how Anton syndrome develops, however, often there is a history of cognitive impairment.
One theory is that patients with damage to the primary visual cortex (the part of the brain that processes visual signals) also have damage to the visual association cortex (a part that connects those signals to other parts of the brain that help interpret them). That may cause the lack of awareness of their blindness.
While stroke is the most common cause of Anton syndrome, it can occur with other conditions that cause damage to the occipital lobe. These include:
To help diagnose your condition, your healthcare provider will typically start with a physical examination.
They may see if your eyes can follow a light. They’ll talk to you about your sight to get a sense of your awareness of your vision loss. If they suspect the development of Anton syndrome, they’ll likely order an urgent workup including imaging tests to help look for damage in the occipital lobe.
Tests may include a headcomputed tomography (CT) scanormagnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Treatment for Anton syndrome will depend on what caused the damage to the occipital lobe. For example, in rare cases where multiple sclerosis causes brain damage, treatment will focus on treating the MS. This may include intravenous methylprednisolone.
In some cases, vision may improve with treatment. This often depends on the patient’s age and health condition. Someone who’s younger, didn’t have a stroke, and has no history of hypertension (high blood pressure) or diabetes may be more likely to see improvement.
While improvement of Anton syndrome is less likely after having a stroke, treatment will likely focus on preventing future cardiovascular events.
Summary
Signs and Symptoms of Stroke
4 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Cárdenas G.Cortical blindness (Anton-Babinski syndrome), an unusual manifestation of central nervous system tuberculosis.JNSK. 2016;4(6). doi:10.15406/jnsk.2016.04.00157Barojas-Alvarez MR, Longoria-Ibarrola EM, Sosa-Ortiz AL, Calleja-Castillo JM, Ramirez-Bermudez J.Anton syndrome after subarachnoid hemorrhage and delayed cerebral ischemia: A case report.Cerebral Circulation - Cognition and Behavior. 2021;2:100023. doi:10.1016/j.cccb.2021.100023American Academy of Ophthalmology.Anton syndrome.Kim N, Anbarasan D, Howard J.Anton syndrome as a result of MS exacerbation.Neurology: Clinical Practice. 2016;7(2). doi:10.1212/cpj.0000000000000273
4 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Cárdenas G.Cortical blindness (Anton-Babinski syndrome), an unusual manifestation of central nervous system tuberculosis.JNSK. 2016;4(6). doi:10.15406/jnsk.2016.04.00157Barojas-Alvarez MR, Longoria-Ibarrola EM, Sosa-Ortiz AL, Calleja-Castillo JM, Ramirez-Bermudez J.Anton syndrome after subarachnoid hemorrhage and delayed cerebral ischemia: A case report.Cerebral Circulation - Cognition and Behavior. 2021;2:100023. doi:10.1016/j.cccb.2021.100023American Academy of Ophthalmology.Anton syndrome.Kim N, Anbarasan D, Howard J.Anton syndrome as a result of MS exacerbation.Neurology: Clinical Practice. 2016;7(2). doi:10.1212/cpj.0000000000000273
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Cárdenas G.Cortical blindness (Anton-Babinski syndrome), an unusual manifestation of central nervous system tuberculosis.JNSK. 2016;4(6). doi:10.15406/jnsk.2016.04.00157Barojas-Alvarez MR, Longoria-Ibarrola EM, Sosa-Ortiz AL, Calleja-Castillo JM, Ramirez-Bermudez J.Anton syndrome after subarachnoid hemorrhage and delayed cerebral ischemia: A case report.Cerebral Circulation - Cognition and Behavior. 2021;2:100023. doi:10.1016/j.cccb.2021.100023American Academy of Ophthalmology.Anton syndrome.Kim N, Anbarasan D, Howard J.Anton syndrome as a result of MS exacerbation.Neurology: Clinical Practice. 2016;7(2). doi:10.1212/cpj.0000000000000273
Cárdenas G.Cortical blindness (Anton-Babinski syndrome), an unusual manifestation of central nervous system tuberculosis.JNSK. 2016;4(6). doi:10.15406/jnsk.2016.04.00157
Barojas-Alvarez MR, Longoria-Ibarrola EM, Sosa-Ortiz AL, Calleja-Castillo JM, Ramirez-Bermudez J.Anton syndrome after subarachnoid hemorrhage and delayed cerebral ischemia: A case report.Cerebral Circulation - Cognition and Behavior. 2021;2:100023. doi:10.1016/j.cccb.2021.100023
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Anton syndrome.
Kim N, Anbarasan D, Howard J.Anton syndrome as a result of MS exacerbation.Neurology: Clinical Practice. 2016;7(2). doi:10.1212/cpj.0000000000000273
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