Language
Country/Area
No result found
Want to know the mysterious root of Alice in Wonderland Syndrome? Here are the secrets you don't know!
Alice in Wonderland Syndrome (AIWS), also known as Todd's Syndrome or Perceptual Disorder, is a neurological disorder that distorts a person's perception. People may experience distortions in their vision of objects, such as seeing them as smaller (micrometropia) or larger (macroptosis), or as if they are closer (myopia) or farther away (hypermetropia). In addition to visual distortions, the syndrome may also affect other senses. The exact cause of Alice in Wonderland Syndrome remains unknown, but it is often associated with migraines, head trauma, or viral encephalitis caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. It has been theorized that AIWS may be caused by abnormal electrical activity in the area of the brain responsible for visual perception, leading to abnormal blood flow changes.
Alice in Wonderland Syndrome is not only seen in adolescents and adults, but is most common in children.
Categories
In the literature, there is no consensus on the classification of AIWS, but some authors distinguish true Alice in Wonderland syndrome based on symptoms related to the individual's image, and refer to other related perceptual changes as "Alice in Wonderland-like syndrome". ”.
Symptoms and manifestations
AIWS has more than 60 associated symptoms that affect vision, sensation, touch and hearing, as well as an individual's body image perception. Common associated symptoms include migraines, nausea, dizziness, and anxiety. Other less common symptoms include loss of limb control and coordination, memory loss, the perception of persistent touch and sound, and mood swings.
AIWS is characterized by the individual's awareness of distortions in their body perception, which occur episodically.
Visual Distortion
Individuals affected by AIWS may experience an expansion, reduction, or distortion of their body image, changes collectively referred to as morphological changes. These changes involve microscopy (the perception that the body or limbs appear smaller) and macroscopy (the perception that the body or limbs appear larger), both abnormal conditions associated with visual hallucinations. Additionally, these visual distortions are sometimes referred to as "Alice in Wonderland syndrome".
Interpersonal alienation and hallucinations
In addition to distortions in volume, mass, and shape, people with AIWS often experience a sense of alienation from themselves, their emotions, their thoughts, and their environment. This state is called depersonalization-derealization disorder and is often associated with the effects of drug or alcohol use.
Hearing and Time Distortion
Sufferers of AIWS often experience paranoia due to disturbances in sound perception, which may include an enhancement of soft sounds or a misinterpretation of ordinary sounds. Furthermore, the disease may cause the sufferer to lose their sense of time, making it seem to pass very slowly, similar to the experience of LSD.
Causes
Because AIWS is infrequently diagnosed and poorly documented, identifying the primary cause is challenging. Currently, the cause of more than half of AIWS cases remains unknown. The syndrome has been linked to increased risk of migraines, screen time in extreme dark environments, and psychoactive drug use.
According to a 2021 study, infectious diseases are considered the most common cause of Alice in Wonderland Syndrome.
Diagnosis
Currently, Alice in Wonderland Syndrome is not included in the major classification systems and the diagnosis process is often inconsistent due to lack of standardization. Doctors usually presume that a person has AIWS after other causes have been ruled out. Ideally, diagnosis should include a detailed physical examination and medical history.
Prognosis and treatment
There is currently no standard treatment for Alice in Wonderland Syndrome. Since symptoms usually disappear on their own and are often considered benign, most people do not require treatment. In some cases, patients may fully recover after treatment of the underlying cause, or may recur with new visual disturbances or migraines in the future.
With more knowledge about this mysterious condition, are we getting closer to uncovering the truth behind Alice in Wonderland Syndrome?
