Inspired by patients
Abstract
Aim: The goal of this study was to assess the efficacy and tolerability of the Cantrell Notch Filtering soft contact lens as a treatment for patients with Sunflower syndrome.
Methods: A questionnaire was distributed to patients with Sunflower syndrome that were being treated with the Cantrell Notch Filtering contact lenses. The survey was hosted on REDCap, and covered topics pertaining to the respondent's history of Sunflower syndrome, including frequency of seizures, tolerability of the lenses, and the perceived benefit of the lenses with regard to reduction of handwaving episodes.
Results: Nineteen people participated in this study. Sixteen of the 19 respondents provided numerical data regarding the frequency of handwaving episodes with and without contact lenses. At the time of survey completion, the average length of time that patients reported wearing the contact lenses was 11.5 months (range: 1 week-2 years 6 months). There was an average 72.9% reduction in handwaving episodes with the use of the contact lenses. Many respondents were able to reduce the use of other non-pharmacological interventions, such as hats and sunglasses, while wearing the contact lenses. However, 10 respondents (52.6%) reported difficulty with tolerability of the contact lenses, including stinging, burning, and color distortion. Of note, these contact lenses filter light between 250 and 650 nm, compared to a Zeiss Z1 lens which filters light between 550 and 700 nm.
Conclusion: The Cantrell Notch Filtering contact lens for Sunflower syndrome may be a beneficial non-pharmacological treatment option for some patients with Sunflower syndrome, although many patients have difficulty with tolerability.
Geenen KR, Yap SV, Tsega L, Dowless D, Bruno PL, Thiele EA. Eye patches and seizure frequency in young people with Sunflower syndrome. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2026 Jan 10. doi: 10.1111/dmcn.70140. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41518217.
Abstract
The goal of this study was to assess the impact of wearing an eye patch on seizure frequency in patients with Sunflower syndrome, a reflex photosensitive epilepsy. Caregivers were instructed to record the number of handwaving episodes (HWEs) that occurred per hour under each of the following conditions: (1) no eye patch, (2) wearing an eye patch on the eye ipsilateral to the hand involved in handwaving, and (3) wearing an eye patch on the eye contralateral to the hand involved in handwaving. Patients performed each trial three times, for a total of nine 1-hour trials. Seven patients (five females, two males; age range 8 years 10 months-21 years 5 months, median age = 11 years 2 months) participated in this study. All patients experienced a decrease in HWEs while wearing an eye patch on either eye. Across all patients, the median frequency of HWEs with no eye patch (baseline) was 136 HWEs/hour. When patching the contralateral eye, the median frequency was 26 HWEs/hour. When patching the ipsilateral eye, the median frequency was 23 HWEs/hour. The findings in this study suggest that blocking sensory input to one eye may significantly reduce seizure frequency in patients with Sunflower syndrome. This may inform theories around the pathophysiology of Sunflower syndrome and provide insight into more effective treatment options.
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