Anton syndrome

Anton syndrome: Visual anosognosia or Anton-Babinski syndrome is a rare neurological condition related to cortical blindness. The patients deny their blindness and affirm adamantly that they are capable of seeing.

Modern usage
The eponym usually refers to Anton syndrome (cortical blindness denial), but is sometimes extended to Anton–Babinski Syndrome to describe anosognosia more generally, acknowledging Babinski’s foundational role in formalising the concept.

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History

1899 – Gabriel Anton (1858–1933) first described the phenomenon in patients with cortical blindness and deafness, noting their lack of self-awareness of the deficit.

« …bei Rindenblindheit und Rindentaubheit bemerkt der Kranke die Störung nicht und verhält sich so, als ob er normal sähe oder hörte. »
(…in cortical blindness and cortical deafness the patient does not notice the disturbance and behaves as if he could see or hear normally.)

Anton 1899

1914 – Joseph Babinski (1857-1932) Introduces the term anosognosie in Revue Neurologique, describing hemiplegic patients who were unaware of their paralysis.

« J’ai observé chez des hémiplégiques organiques une absence de conscience de leur paralysie que je propose de désigner sous le nom d’anosognosie. »
(I have observed in patients with organic hemiplegia an absence of awareness of their paralysis, which I propose to designate by the term anosognosia.)

Babinski 1914

1918 – Babinski expands on anosognosia, reporting additional cases of denial of neurological deficits.

1924 – Babinski publishes Un nouveau cas d’anosognosie, consolidating anosognosia as a clinical syndrome.

1930s–1940s The terms “Anton’s syndrome” (cortical blindness with denial) and “Babinski’s anosognosia” circulate separately in neurology literature.

Mid-20th century – French and German neurologists begin pairing the names, referring to Anton–Babinski syndrome as a broader entity of denial of neurological illness, particularly blindness.

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Associated Persons

• Gabriel Anton (1858-1933)
• Joseph Babinski (1857-1932)

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Alternative names

• Anton-Babinski syndrome
• Anton’s syndrome
• Anosognosie
• Visual anosognosia

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References

• Anton G. Über die Selbstwahrnehmung der Herderkrankungen des Gehirns durch den Kranken bei Rindenblindheit und Rindentaubheit. Archiv für Psychiatrie und Nervenkrankheiten, Berlin, 1899; 32: 86-127.
• Babinski J. Contribution a l’étude des troubles mentaux dans l’hémiplégie organique (anosognosie). Revue Neurologique, 1914; 27: 845-848.
• Babinski J. Anosognosie. Revue Neurologique, 1918; 31(1): 365-367.
• Babinski J. Un nouveau cas d’anosognosie. Revue Neurologique, 1924; 40(2): 638-640.
• Maddula M, Lutton S, Keegan B. Anton’s syndrome due to cerebrovascular disease: a case report. J Med Case Reports. 2009; 3: 9028.
• Chen JJ, Chang HF, Hsu YC, Chen DL. Anton-Babinski syndrome in an old patient: a case report and literature review. Psychogeriatrics. 2015 Mar;15(1):58-61