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Concept
Alice in Wonderland syndrome
Summary
Alice in Wonderland syndrome (AIWS), also known as Todd's syndrome or dysmetropsia, is a neurological disorder that distorts perception. People may experience distortions in their visual perception of objects, such as appearing smaller (micropsia) or larger (macropsia), or appearing to be closer (pelopsia) or farther (teleopsia) than they are. Distortion may also occur for senses other than vision.
The cause of Alice in Wonderland syndrome is currently unknown, but it has often been associated with migraines, head trauma, or viral encephalitis caused by Epstein–Barr virus infection. It is also theorized that it can be caused by abnormal amounts of electrical activity, resulting in abnormal blood flow in those parts of the brain that process visual perception and texture.
Although there are cases of Alice in Wonderland syndrome in both adolescents and adults, it is most commonly seen in children.
While the classification is not universally agreed upon in literature, some authors distinguish true Alice in Wonderland syndrome based solely on symptoms related to alterations in a person's body image. In contrast, they utilize the term "Alice in Wonderland-like syndrome" to encompass symptoms associated with changes in perception of vision, time, hearing, touch, or other external perceptions.
With over 60 associated symptoms, Alice in Wonderland syndrome affects the sense of vision, sensation, touch, and hearing, as well as the perception of one's body image. Migraines, nausea, dizziness, and agitation are also commonly associated symptoms with Alice in Wonderland syndrome. Less frequent symptoms also include loss of limb control and coordination, memory loss, lingering touch and sound sensations, and emotional instability. Alice in Wonderland syndrome is often associated with distortion of sensory perception, which involves visual, somatosensory, and non-visual symptoms. Alice in Wonderland syndrome is characterized by the individual being able to recognize the distortion in the perception of their own body and is episodic.
Official source
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