- Positive Scotoma
- Negative Scotoma
- Central Scotoma
- Scintillating Scotoma
- Paracentral Scotoma

Types of Scotoma

- A visual impairment in which the individual affected develops a blind spot in their vision
- Causes can vary, some of which include migraines, seizures, and strokes
- Typically considered a symptom to various brain traumas
- This disease can start at almost any part of the visual system, including the retina, optic nerve, and the cerebral cortex (particularly the occipital lobe)
- Has varying effects, from a completely dark spot in one's vision to slight blurring (a scintillating scotoma is seen below)

University of Colorado at Boulder

- A consistent blur in one's vision
- Known symptom of neurological disorders
- Positive aura: seeing something that is not there
- Negative aura: not seeing something that is there
- Major type of visual aura: scotoma

Visual Aura

Marvasti, A. H., Chen, K. C., Ferreyra, H. A., & Falardeau, J. (2019). Acquired unilateral scotoma. Survey of Ophthalmology, 64(1), 117–122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.survophthal.2017.06.006 

Acquired unilateral scotoma

Scotoma

An aura describes the visual (most common), sensory or motor symptoms that often characterize migraine. It may be caused by an electrophysiological phenomenon known as cortical spreading depression (CSD), a wave of depolarization that starts in the occipital lobe and slowly spreads before a period of hyperpolarization.

From top-left, clockwise: zigzags, negative scotoma, one-sided loss of perception, positive scotoma.

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