Alice in Wonderland syndrome was first described in 1955 by psychiatrist Dr. John Todd and is a neuropsychological disorder that patients with this problem can describe more generally as a change in the sensations of visual perception and spatial location.
Alice in Wonderland Syndrome is a term applied to various, bizarre sensations and illusions of changes in the shapes, sizes, and movements of objects that the patient observes. The syndrome is characterized by distortion of the body image and impaired assimilation of distance, size, and spatial relationship so that images appear smaller (micropsia), larger (macropsia), closer (pelopsia), or farther away (teleopsia) than they actually are.
Other symptoms accompanying these peculiar notions often include the appearance of nausea, numerous unusual and unexplained visions.
Dr. Todd associates these symptoms with migraines and epilepsy, brain tumors, and psychoactive substance use. The conditions usually occur during partial seizures, migraine headaches, infections or intoxications.
The illusions and hallucinations resemble the strange phenomena experienced by the heroine Alice in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. In this connection, the discoverer of AIWS, Dr. John Todd, decided to call it by a whimsical name in appreciation of the book's author. (Lewis Carroll is said to have suffered from severe migraine attacks, and it is likely that these were related to his rich authorial imagination.)
Alice in Wonderland syndrome and related medical conditions:
Given the fleeting nature of the condition and the lack of underlying medical problems associated with the features of the syndrome it is difficult to ascertain with certainty whether it is likely to affect more people than the medical literature suggests.
Studies have revealed significant differences among patients suffering from these hallucinations: some experience constant recurrent episodes followed by the development of migraines, while others recover fully from the condition. In addition to confirming the link between epileptic seizures, severe, characteristic headaches and hallucinations, the syndrome is found to affect mainly young children and is often associated with the presence of an inflammatory process. Children with characteristics of AIWS, have approximately a 50% chance of developing a subsequent infection and a very high likelihood of suffering from migraine headaches over the years. Older adults with migraine, epilepsy, or head trauma are most likely to report AIWS syndrome. It is this syndrome that has been described and reported as the most common neuropsychological association. At present, no one can pinpoint an exact cause, so the condition continues to be shrouded in mystery.
Overall, despite the unusual perceptions, the most important thing about AIWS is that the brief symptoms are not predictive of mental illness, or cerebrovascular disease. It is important to keep in mind that AIWS is not usually a sign of neurological disease. Persistent indications, however, should be monitored and are a possible sign of an occipital lesion or intoxication with a substance that may affect the central nervous system. As possible causes - hallucinations are associated with the presence of the Epstein-Barr virus (human herpes virus, which can cause infectious mononucleosis), intoxication with hallucinogens or hypnagogia (a transitional state between sleep and wakefulness, which is characterized by strange visions). A study has suggested a correlation between Alice in Wonderland syndrome and temporo-parietal cavernoma, which is an abnormal cluster of blood vessels found at the junction between the temporal and parietal lobes.
The syndrome continues to intrigue specialists vividly. Research to date suggests that it is not actually a disorder associated with one specific case, but a subset of hallucinations defined by a specific area of the brain showing abnormalities. These abnormalities can be caused by a myriad of factors.For more information, we at Caradji Medical are at your service.
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