Bálint syndrome: causes, symptoms and treatment

The visual system is one of the most valuable and developed sensory systems for the human being. Thanks to it we are able to detect the presence of the different elements that are part of our environment as well as to identify its shape, proportions and position in space and in relation to us.

However, sometimes this system can be damaged for some reason, or the brain areas in charge of its management or of the interpretation of the data derived from it can do so. One of the medical problems or syndromes that can result from brain injuries is Bálint syndrome.

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Balint syndrome - what is it?

The so-called Bálint syndrome is a medical condition caused by the presence of brain injuries and characterized by the presence of different alterations linked to the control of the visual system that hinder and even prevent the adaptive use of said system, highlighting optic ataxia, oculomotor apraxia, perceptual problems and difficulties derived from them, such as visual agnosia.

This can be a serious detriment to the person's daily life, which loses a large part of its functionality.

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Basic symptoms

Specifically, this syndrome is characterized because those who suffer from it have optic ataxia, that is, the inability to correctly coordinate visual information and the movement of the hands. The subject is unable to perform tasks that require this coordination, although his visual perception and his motor system function correctly separately.

Oculomotor apraxia also appears, which in this case refers to the inability to modify the focus of visual attention due to the absence or decrease of voluntary control of the activity ocular. The gaze remains fixed on one point and it is difficult or impossible to change it regardless of the presence of stimulation in another point of the visual field, or it presents erratic movements.

Another of the main symptoms of Bálint syndrome is simultanagnosia, in which the subject is not able to observe more than one object at the same time without the former disappearing from the perceptual field. The subject has serious difficulties in capturing complex visual stimulations, which he may not understand. In addition, there is often a high degree of disorientation in space.

Finally, it is also common for alterations such as visual agnosia to appear, in which the person suffers from this syndrome is unable to understand or identify what he is seeing and that can lead to phenomena as the prosopagnosia or lack of face recognition.

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Causes of this syndrome

Bálint syndrome is mainly caused by the presence of bilateral brain injuries in which both are affected parietal lobes, especially in the areas in contact with the occiput. Among these areas can be found the angular gyrus, which in turn can cause cognitive alterations, disorientation and problems of association between language and image.

The causes of these injuries can be multiple, from the presence of cerebrovascular accidents to head injuries that affect these areas. In addition to this, some cases caused by neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementias, can be found. It also appears occasionally in complications derived from infection by HIV, as well as in prion disease.

Functional alterations in patients

Those individuals suffering from Bálint syndrome have serious problems to continue their daily life normally. They have difficulties coordinating vision and motor skills and may not correctly perceive their surroundings. Aspects such as dressing or eating are greatly complicated in some cases, as well as any activity that requires fine motor skills and vision. Literacy is difficult or impossible, as is driving or operating delicate machinery. Sometimes communication problems can occur in the presence of agnosia or the difficulty of associating concepts with their corresponding images.

In addition, since it tends to appear abruptly, it represents a significant interruption that can have serious psychological effectsIt is not uncommon to experience anxiety, anguish and even depression in some cases.

Treatment

Bálint syndrome is the result of severe brain injury, so the treatment is dedicated to improving and trying to recover the lost functions from rehabilitation. In most cases, an occupational therapy-centered approach is used (either through traditional means or through the use of new technologies) that allows to the extent visible, reduce the patient's difficulties and enhance her skills, as well as counseling and psychological treatment in cases required.

Some level of recovery is possible Although it will depend on the type of injury that caused the syndrome, the state of the damaged neurons or isolated and the use of strategies that allow to recover or compensate or the typical functions of the areas injured.