Balint Syndrome

What is Balint syndrome?

Balint syndrome is a rare neurological condition that affects how your brain processes:

• The things you see (visual perception).
• Where objects are located (spatial cognition).
• Your physical movements in relation to what you see (motor coordination).

It causes symptoms that interfere with your daily routine and makes tasks like grabbing a fork or reading extremely difficult.

You may hear your healthcare provider refer to Balint syndrome as Balint’s syndrome or Balint-Holmes syndrome.

What are the symptoms of Balint syndrome?

The three main symptoms of Balint syndrome include:

• Oculomotor apraxia: It’s difficult to voluntarily move your eyes to focus on an object in your line of sight. You might have trouble moving your eyes away from one object to look at another object.
• Optic ataxia: You have trouble guiding your hand to an object that you see. You might reach for an object, but your hand doesn’t land near it. You might have trouble walking around an obstacle.
• Simultanagnosia: You see individual objects rather than multiple objects in the same field of vision. For example, when looking at a picture of a flower garden, you can only identify one flower at a time instead of many flowers next to each other. You might have trouble detecting the movement of objects in front of you.

What causes Balint syndrome?

Damage to the parietal lobe in your brain causes Balint syndrome. Your parietal lobe helps your brain process visual and spatial information, like interpreting your senses and coordinating your movements. It also helps you understand the position of your body within your environment.

Balint syndrome could happen after:

• A stroke.
• A tumor.
• A traumatic brain injury.
• Oxygen deprivation.
• An infection.
• Toxin exposure (like carbon monoxide).

You may have damage to your occipital lobe in addition to damage to your parietal lobe.

Balint syndrome may happen alongside other neurological disorders, like:

• Alzheimer’s disease.
• Cerebral toxoplasmosis.
• Corticobasal degeneration.
• Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
• HIV-related encephalitis.
• Metastatic brain tumors.
• Posterior cortical atrophy.
• Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome.
• Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy.

What are the complications of Balint syndrome?

Balint syndrome symptoms can have a significant impact on how you interact with your environment. While symptoms aren’t life-threatening, they can make it extremely difficult to complete your routine and may put you at risk of harm.

You might have trouble getting dressed and combing your hair. Symptoms will make it difficult for you to read and write. Activities like driving a motor vehicle will be unsafe for you to do. You may need assistance grocery shopping or preparing your meals, which may progress to full-time care to help you eat and navigate safely.

How is Balint syndrome diagnosed?

A healthcare provider will diagnose Balint syndrome after an exam and testing. An optometrist or ophthalmologist will perform an eye exam first. If they suspect Balint syndrome, they’ll refer you to see a neurologist to perform a neurological exam and additional testing. Imaging tests, like an MRI or a CT scan of your brain, show damage to your parietal lobe and lead to an accurate diagnosis.

Is Balint syndrome curable?

There isn’t a cure available for Balint syndrome. Treatment can reduce symptoms in some cases. Symptoms that happen with neurological conditions may progressively get worse over time.

How is Balint syndrome treated?

Treatment for Balint syndrome varies based on the cause. It may include:

• Medications to manage an underlying neurological condition or antibiotics for an infection.
• Surgery for tumor removal or to reduce swelling caused by oxygen deprivation.
• Radiation therapy for tumors that surgery can’t easily reach.

Rehabilitation therapy can also help you recover after a stroke. Your care team may recommend the following to get you back to your routine:

• Physical therapy.
• Occupational therapy.

In addition, neuropsychological rehabilitation can help retrain your brain to complete certain tasks and adapt to your symptoms by learning new skills. Neuropsychological rehabilitation focuses on improving your emotional well-being, environmental and social task performance, and cognitive function.

Can Balint syndrome be prevented?

You can’t prevent all causes of Balint syndrome.

You may reduce your risk by taking steps to prevent stroke. You can:

• Manage any underlying conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
• Eat healthy meals.
• Participate in regular physical activities.
• Stop smoking.

You can also wear protective equipment, like a helmet, during activities that may cause physical injury.

What’s the outlook for Balint syndrome?

Your healthcare provider will consider many factors when evaluating your outlook. It can vary widely based on the cause.

If diagnosed and treated early, Balint syndrome associated with a stroke or infection may have a good outlook. Certain neurological conditions that cause Balint syndrome, like corticobasal degeneration or posterior cortical atrophy, may have a poor outlook.

Your provider is the best resource to give you this information specific to your situation.

When should I see a healthcare provider?

Visit a healthcare provider if you notice changes to your vision and spatial awareness, especially after a head injury or stroke.

What questions should I ask my healthcare provider?

• What caused these symptoms?
• What type of treatment do you recommend?
• Are there side effects of the treatment?
• How do I safely complete my daily routine?