Alice in Wonderland syndrome
Alternative Names
Alice in Wonderland syndrome, (AIWS), Todd's syndromeWhat is Alice in Wonderland syndrome
Alice in Wonderland syndrome is a disorienting neurological condition characterizing by micropsia or size distortion of other sensory modalities.
Signs and symptoms
The most prominent and often most disturbing symptom is that of altered body image: the sufferer will find that he is confused as to the size and shape of some parts of his body.
The eyes themselves are normal, but the person with AIWS 'sees' objects with the wrong size or shape or finds that perspective is incorrect (e.g., people, cars, buildings, etc., look smaller or larger than they should be).
Similar to the lack of spatial perspective the sufferer also loses a sense of time that leads to a distorted sense of velocity since one is missing the two most important parts of the equation (e.g., one could be inching along ever so slowly in reality yet it would seem as if one were sprinting uncontrollably along a moving walkway leading to severe, overwhelming disorientation).
Possible complications
- hallucinations
- loss of limb control and general discoordination
- memory loss, lingering touch and sound sensations and emotional experiences
What causes
The most important causes of this disorder are:
- migraines
- brain tumors
- the use of psychoactive drugs
- Epstein-Barr Virus
Prevention
Alice in Wonderland syndrome can't be prevented, but the scientists still work over this problem.
Treatment
Treatment is the same as that for other migraine prophylaxis: anticonvulsants, antidepressants, beta blockers and calcium channel blockers along with strict adherence to the migraine diet. Chronic Alice In Wonderland Syndrome is untreatable and must wear itself out. Rest is the prime treatment, but another effective therapy is to join support groups to share experiences and to know that you are not alone.
