Around 2007-2008 I experienced a major "perceptual disorder" regarding my vision, without any physical symptoms. Over the course of less than a year I realized something major had changed in my visual field. Slowly I came to realize that my eye dominance had changed. For well over a decade prior I knew my dominant eye was my right eye because I had formerly done archery, and because my nondominant eye was always a bit astigmatic. Once you know you know, so how much more strange to wake up one day and find... things had changed.
And not just changed, it was like my brain was just ignoring the data from my formerly dominant eye. My vision in that eye was still 20/20 when I first noticed it. Right away I noticed that eye and the area around it felt "dead". The main symptom seemed to be that my brain was ignoring the input from that eye. I noticed my brain didn't register the right side of my nose in my field of vision unless I really "efforted" it. I found I could walk, bicycle, or drive with that eye completely covered or uncovered and it was barely part of my visual field. In fact I was already walking, bicycling, and driving with seemingly zero input from that eye.
When I explained these symptoms first to my general practitioner and then to the ophthalmologist he referred me to each looked at me like I'd just escaped from an insane asylum. I could never get any traction asking for a referral to neurologist, let alone anyone closer to cutting edge research such as neuro-ophthalmology or neuropsychiatry. What I really wanted was a basic neurological assessment of whether my brain was functioning "normally" or otherwise, and if otherwise, whether it's identifiable as a recognized disorder or syndrome.
But I'm 100% working class, and even when I had good insurance, my experience communicating with doctors about this has been abysmal.
After 3 years, my vision in that eye began to deteriorate rapidly. Meanwhile my formerly nondominant eye went from being astigmatic to better than 20/40. I invented exercises to try to get my awareness and volition back "in" that eye. I would explicitly "reach" and "withdraw" to look with each eye, back and forth, both with and without an eye patch to isolate each eye. But by then my vision in that eye was ruined. By 5 years out (2013) I was essentially legally blind in that eye.
But it's the cognitive changes I'm trying to repair.
I now experience a much greater difficulty visualizing things in my "minds eye". Where I used to be able to hold a nearly perfect eidetic image or copy of an object, narrative, or algorithm, now it's like I have to "push" to overcome something like TV static. Where before it just flowed effortlessly by thought alone now it requires a degree of "effort" that has a kinesthetic sensation like the resistance of lifting a weight. And there's a similar degree of something like executive dysfunction and difficulty learning that comes with this as well: much of my lifelong knowledge seems to be "knowledge under glass": I can see it, I can remember learning it, but putting into action, it's like I can't "reach" through the glass for any length of time. Where I used to learn new things with ease, trying to learn something new today requires an enormous number of "passes" before it "sticks". Additionally not just dream recall but dreaming itself seemed to fall off a cliff as well after this point.
What I'm asking: All reasonable suggestions are welcome. I'm particularly interested in learning about any reasonably safe compounds known to the broad nootropics and DIY cognitive enhancement communities that induce neuroplasticity in the parietal and occipital regions. I'm also curious about any compounds or strategies for inducing remyelination in the corpus callosum. For the latter I've tried CDP-choline, but I'd love any advice or experience the community has to offer.
Oxiracetam and fasoracetam help on days when I feel exceptionally "foggy". Galantamine also helps especially with dream activity. I had hoped ISRIB might help, but ISRIB+DMSO seem to offer only a very nominal level of improvement.
I understand clemastine has been studied for remyelination, but as it's a strong anticholinergic I'm not interested. The only study I could find for this purpose was in connection with multiple sclerosis, and it was discontinued because it seemed to accelerate MS symptoms.
I've also asked LLMs, which pointed me to bexarotene, K102 & K110, bavisant, and GSK239512. But searching for these across the internet, I only find peer-reviewed research, nothing about anecdotal or lay ("nootropic") use.
Thanks in advance!
Edited by swiftkick, Today, 07:27 PM.
