Palinopsia (afterimages and trails)
The persistence or recurrence of a visual image after the object itself has moved away or disappeared.
Open VisualSim →What it looks like
Palinopsia has two forms. Illusory palinopsia: moving objects leave a comet-like trail behind them, or a momentary "ghost" image that fades within seconds — similar to a long-exposure photograph. Hallucinatory palinopsia: a clear, formed image of something you looked at recently reappears in vision later, sometimes inverted in color, sometimes in a different location. Both can be present at once.
Common causes
Migraine, visual snow syndrome, HPPD, certain antidepressants (trazodone, mirtazapine), topiramate, head trauma, and occasionally occipital lesions. Mild trails are common and not always pathological.
When to see a doctor
New, persistent palinopsia — especially if accompanied by other neurological symptoms — should be evaluated by a neurologist or neuro-ophthalmologist. Sudden onset of formed afterimages may warrant brain imaging to rule out a structural cause.
Also known as
Visual trailing · Persistent afterimages