Refrigerator blindness: selective loss of visual acuity in association with a common foraging behaviour.

The Case: Three male offspring, aged 9–14 years, of one of the authors (M.B.) were observed to experience visual problems profound enough to imply functional blindness. The visual deficit was evident on almost every occasion when any one of the children of this physician went to the refrigerator and opened the door. The acute visual problem encountered was noted to be part of a consistent behaviour pattern, wherein a few seconds after the fridge door was opened a cry would be heard from the affected child of " Mum, where's the milk [or any other item being sought]? " This vocalization was made without regard to the physician's distance from the fridge or engagement in any other activity. Shouted directions as to the location of the object only occasionally led to it becoming visible. Even with calm and constructive maternal encouragement and direction the desired object typically would remain unseen until the mother-physician attended the fridge-side and physically identified the precise location of the item. This behaviour was noted only sporadically among the female members of the household, but was unremitting among the males. Attempts at patient empowerment through counselling — " Surely someone of your age can find the ... " — rarely led to success, and diagnostic accusations such as " Are you blind? " appeared to aggravate the condition , possibly through subliminal trauma to the fragile male psyche. A literature review using the search terms " blindness, " " sightlessness, " " loss of sight, " " refrigerator, " " Frigi-daire " and " hereditary difficulty " for the years 1994–2004 yielded no case reports or genome-mapping references to refrigerator/fridge blindness in children or adults. We believe therefore that we report a previously undescribed condition. Comments: Anecdotal evidence would indicate that this condition, to which we apply the term " refrigerator blindness, " is widespread but occurs predominantly among teenage males. Indeed, in North America almost all members of this segment of the population seem to have episodic, isolated behaviours compatible with early-onset refrigerator blindness. However, others are also afflicted; sporadic cases have occurred among teenage girls, although we have yet to meet an adult female who will admit to the condition. Married adult males in most households demonstrate symptoms on occasion, but with a lower frequency than among adolescent males, which suggests that the condition becomes less severe with advancing age, most likely through spousal …