Some specialists consider it a type of aura, a sensory warning preceding a migraine. Lesserknown facts about the alice in wonderland syndrome. Some cases of alice in wonderland syndrome have also been noted in the elderly population or people in their 50s or 60s. For example, their feet may suddenly appear smaller and. The child is usually photophobic and needs to go to sleep in a dark room.
Typical migraine, temporal lobe epilepsy, brain tumors, psychoactive drugs ot epsteinbarrvirus infections are. The syndrome is usually associated with visual hallucinations. Alice in wonderland syndrome found to be a common disorder among children, a psychiatrist called john todd found that patients reported the feeling of opening out like a telescope. Individuals affected with alice in wonderland syndrome can experience alterations in their perception of the size of objects or their own body parts, known as metamorphopsias. Objects either appear much larger macropsia or smaller micropsia before, during, or after a headache. Because i was off a regular sleep pattern for a while during college, i would find myself quickly slipping in and out of an aiws episode for a few seconds at a time, and then regaining my composure. Aliceinwonderland syndrome is a strange phenomenon most often associated with migraine headaches. Other triggers can include infection, stress, and cough medicines. These events take the form of depersonalization, derealization, deja vu or, on one occasion, jamais vu, where places and people you have known for years suddenly. The term alice in wonderland syndrome aws was coined by todd in 1955, based on the book alice s adventures in wonderland published in 1865 by lewis carroll. A syndrome of distorted space, time and body image. Jun 23, 2014 alice in wonderland syndrome is not an optical problem or a hallucination. The name comes from the classic story of alices adventures in wonderland, written by lewis carroll charles lutwidge dodgson in 1865. I am a 47 year old migraineur who has had migraine with auras for over 35 years.
Experiencing complex ptsd, trauma, anxiety, depersonalization, derealization, and migraines. The british psychiatrist john todd 19141967 first used the memorable term alice in wonderland syndrome aiws to describe a singular group of symptoms intimately associated with migraine and epilepsy, although not confined to these disorders in 1955. May 03, 2020 alice in wonderland syndrome aiws is a neurological disorder that disrupts the messages sent from the eyes to the brain, causing a corresponding distortion in visual perception. Alice in wonderland syndrome caused by acid flashback. Mar 09, 2015 people with alice in wonderland syndrome aws perceive parts of their body to be changing size. Apr 23, 2012 alice in wonderland syndrome is named after the famous lewis carroll novel. But the episodes can occur during a headache or migraine, and some consider the visual disturbances to be an aura that comes before a migraine. Much like alices experience in wonderland, the syndrome doesnt last long and isnt associated with any negative enduring effects.
Alice in wonderland syndrome chicago headache clinic. Because theres no way to test for aiws, liu has to rely on what his. This illustration from lewis carrolls 1865 novel, alices adventures in. Eksplodirajuca glava i alisa u zemlji u cuda psihobrlog barbara jean bailes september 14, 2014 at 3. Distortion may occur for other senses besides vision as well. Otherwise known as aiws, todds syndrome or dysmetropsia, it tends to be much more common in childhood, which it was with me, fading as the sufferer matures. Full text full text is available as a scanned copy of the original print version. Quotes tagged as aliceinwonderland showing of 195 why, sometimes ive believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast. An alteration of visual perception is found in that way that the sizes of body parts or sizes of external objects are perceived incorrectly. Alice in wonderland syndrome aka todds syndrome is a neurological condition where the sufferer experiences hallucinations, and which oftentimes accompanies migraines, although other neurological conditions may cause aiws as well. Imagine youre just drifting off to sleep when you suddenly realize that your hands.
For example, their feet may suddenly appear smaller and more distant, or their hands larger than. They are also more frequently seen in people with ptsd and severe anxiety disorders, though they could also occasionally occur with aiws. Alice in wonderland syndrome is more of a disturbance of the perception of things rather than a particular physiological change to the systems of the body. Aug 17, 2016 alice in wonderland syndrome is a neurological disorder that usually occurs in children, generally at night. Aiws is temporary, and many report that it is more common after waking or when exhausted.
It kind of felt like that for me, like, everything get really far and distant. The patient with the alice in wonderland syndrome has a feeling that their entire body or parts of it have been altered in shape and size. I am not an expert physicianmedical doctor or neurologist. John todd, who extensively researched the disease after being puzzled by several patients who suffered. When a person has alice in wonderland syndrome, they feel just like alice looked, as if their bodies and the objects around them are going through the same changes alice s body. Though frightening and disorienting for a child, aiws episodes are temporary, and. While the exact cause of aws is not yet certain, it is however, commonly associated with migraine, epilepsy, and even viral infections. Alice in wonderland syndrome an overview sciencedirect topics.
Alice in wonderland syndrome is a neurological condition where the individuals perception of colors, sizes, distances, and textures are altered from reality. Alice in wonderland syndrome could cause your reality to be a little odd. This syndrome also finds its close cousin alice in wonderlandlike syndrome awls, in which the sufferer incorrectly perceives the size, shape or distance of objects. In 1955, english psychiatrist john todd 19141987 described alice in wonderland syndrome aiws as selfexperienced paroxysmal body image illusions involving distortions of the size, mass, or shape of the patients own body or its position in space, often occurring with depersonalization and derealization. A child with aiws may experience temporary visual distortions like the character from the book alices adventures in wonderland. The condition was first noted in 1955 by john todd, a psychiatrist. Migrainous aura, visual snow, and alice in wonderland. Get a printable copy pdf file of the complete article 828k, or click on a page image below to browse page by page. An association with acute infections is also reported, particularly with epstein barr virus, varicella, coxsackie virus b1. Patients with the alice in wonderland syndrome aws experience hallucinations or illusions of expansion, reduction, or distortion of body image. Alice in wonderland syndrome occurs when there is disorientation of a persons perception. Alice in wonderland syndrome medigoo health medical tests.
I report a case of an 11yearold girl who developed alice in wonderland syndrome associated with h1n1 influenza. Alice in wonderland syndrome also known as todds syndrome or liliputian hallucination is a neurological condition that alters perception. Presumably, the diagnosis is done when other causes are ruled out and at the same time the person shows symptoms together with migraines. Alice in wonderland syndromesymptoms, causes, pictures. Alice in wonderland syndrome is also known as todds syndrome. The moment alice arrives in wonderland, she goes through a series of strange metamorphic changes, becoming larger or smaller after ingesting certain foods and liquids. It appears that aiws is also a common experience during sleep onset and has been known to commonly arise due to a lack of sleep. Alice in wonderland syndrome aiws is named after lewis carrolls novel through the looking glass. In 76 eyes of 38 patients who used topiramate for migraine, the median refractive error. They can also experience perceptual distortions of any of the.
It has gotten the name by the scene in the movie alice in the wonderland, where alice jumps in the rabbit hole and her legs stretch out. Alice in wonderland syndrome is named after the famous lewis carroll novel. May 03, 2018 alice in wonderland syndrome could cause your reality to be a little odd. Todd provided medical histories of five adults and an adolescent who had suffered from illusions of. The affected individual will be confused as to the size and shape of their body parts, especially the head, hands, legs which may seem more longer than normal or as if these parts have shrunk to a smaller size. Jul 08, 2017 alice in wonderland syndrome is mostly seen in children and is more prevalent at night. Mar 04, 2019 aiws is very commonly comorbid with ocular aura, and it is auras i tend to have in attenuated form, and only when i havent had enough sleep, or if i am particularly stressed. Sep 12, 2014 one of the most intriguing diseases that affect a persons ability to perceive objects correctly is called, interestingly enough, alice in wonderland syndrome, or aiws, for short. People with alice in wonderland syndrome aws perceive parts of their body to be changing size. The majority of patients with the syndrome have a family. To summarize the literature on alice in wonderland syndrome aiws, a disorder characterized by distortions of visual perception, the body schema, and the experience of time.
Jan 28, 2016 micropsia, which is more commonly known as alice in wonderland syndrome, is a visual neurological condition that affects the way people perceive objects. Two cases with infectious etiology responsible for the. Alice in wonderland syndrome a real life experience. My life with night terrors, demons, and alice in wonderland. This condition can also cause strange distortions in the sense of touch and sound in the patient. Alice in wonderland syndrome aiws is a neurological disorder that disrupts the messages sent from the eyes to the brain, causing a corresponding distortion in visual perception. As i understand it, depersonalization and derealization are similar to aliceinwonderland syndrome, and might even be considered the same in certain respects, but they do have important differences. As i understand it, depersonalization and derealization are similar to alice in wonderland syndrome, and might even be considered the same in certain respects, but they do have important differences. Mar 26, 20 in 1955, english psychiatrist john todd 19141987 described alice in wonderland syndrome aiws as selfexperienced paroxysmal body image illusions involving distortions of the size, mass, or shape of the patients own body or its position in space, often occurring with depersonalization and derealization. Instead, it is most likely caused by a change in a portion of the brain, likely the parietal lobe, that processes perceptions of the environment.
If youre experiencing symptoms like the ones described for aws, make an appointment with your doctor. Alice in wonderland syndrome aiws, named after the novel written by lewis carroll, also known as todds syndrome. The most prevalent symptom of alice in wonderland syndrome which is also the most frightening one is the perception of an altered body image. Alice in wonderland syndrome transcend mediocrity book 101.
It is believed that lewis carroll suffered from severe migraines and the disorder as well. With alice in wonderland syndrome, you may experience episodes. I had alice in wonderland syndrome the new york times. In one scene, alice eats cookies that change the size of her body, causing her to alternately be too small and too large for her environment.
Alice in wonderland syndrome aiws is a perceptual disorder, principally involving visual and somesthetic integration, firstly reported by todd, on the literary suggestion of the strange experiences described by lewis carroll in alice in wonderland books. Alice in wonderland syndrome aiws is a temporary perceptual disturbance. Alice in wonderland syndrome is not an optical problem or a hallucination. This generally happened at night, trying to sleep when i was stressed about some impending project the next day, that i knew i wasnt prepared for. Not much is known about alice in wonderland syndrome, the neurological condition which distorts human perception and appears to affect mostly children, named after the manipulation of alices size in lewis carolls classic novel. Aws or aiws is a rare neurological condition that affects percep. Micropsia, which is more commonly known as alice in wonderland syndrome, is a visual neurological condition that affects the way people perceive objects. Just as in the movie alice in wonderland, someone suffering from the symptoms of alice in wonderland syndrome may have an analogous experience to the one that the fictional character. Symptoms of this syndrome are known to arise particularly at sleep onset and due to lack of sleep. Alice in wonderland syndrome is a peculiar disorder in which the symptoms are. I use the word sufferer advisedly, because, well, when you have it mildly, as i have, it can be a deeply creative experience. Transcend mediocrity, book 101 audible audiobook unabridged j. Is the alice in wonderland syndrome a disability or not at. When i was a child, i would have these dreams in which i could see in ultrahighdefinition.
Seeing the world and writing it with alice in wonderland. It is a neurological condition associated with the signals communicated to the brain from the eyes causing distorted perception. Alice in wonderland syndrome, first described in 1955, is a manifestation of migraine or seizures. A few months ago, my 10yearold daughter, paulina, was suffering from a bad headache right before bedtime. Alice in wonderland syndrome makes the world appear to. Experiencing complex ptsd, trauma, anxiety, depersonalization, derealization, and migraines transcend mediocrity book 101 as want to read. Transcend mediocrity, book 101 audible audiobook unabridged. It can also be referred to as todds syndrome, after dr. A good nights sleep is essential for keeping our minds and bodies strong. Todd named it for carrolls book alices adventures in wonderland. Aug 23, 2017 alice in wonderland syndrome is a disorienting neurological condition that affects human perception to the senses of vision, hearing, touch, sensation, and the phenomenon of time. It alters the way that people see body parts or external objects, making things look either much larger or smaller than they actually are, with the most intense symptoms coming at night. The woman on the left appears to be very tiny, while the woman on the right appears to be a giant, nearly twice the height of.
Webmd explains what causes this unusual syndrome and what to do if you have it. Not much is known about alice in wonderland syndrome, the neurological condition which distorts human perception and appears to affect mostly children, named after the manipulation of alice s size in lewis carolls classic novel. Because the syndrome is so rare, the links between it and migraine are not yet fully known. Alice in wonderland syndrome aiws, also known as todds syndrome or dysmetropsia, is a neuropsychological condition that causes a distortion of perception. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. In the book we saw illustrations of alice with exaggerated and strange dimensions such as an extralong neck, like a giraffe, and a wide lower body on top of long legs. Alice in wonderland syndrome is a peculiar disorder in which the symptoms are remarkably similar to the distortion in body image and shape as experienced by the main character in lewis carrolls, 1865 novel, and first described in 1955 by the english psychiatrist john todd. You may feel larger or smaller than you actually are. Alice in wonderland syndrome is a benign but scary condition. Sleep deprivation not only affects how you feel the next day, it can.
Alice in wonderland syndrome aws is a rare condition that causes temporary episodes of distorted perception and disorientation. Alice in wonderland syndrome aiws, also known as todds syndrome or dysmetropsia, is a. Alice in wonderland syndrome is where when i was younger upon drifting off to sleep id suddenly think my fingers was millions of times bigger than my body or that my body was less than the size of an atom and i spent most of my time as a child screaming and crying. Alice in wonderland is one of my all time favorite stories.
People may experience distortions in visual perception of objects such as appearing smaller or larger, or appearing to be closer or farther away than they actually are. Description of alice in wonderland syndrome aiws alice in wonderland syndrome affects visual perception causing socalled metamorphopsia, hearing and the sense of touch, the sense of passage of time. Alice in wonderland syndrome is a term applied to altered bizarre perceptions of the size or shape of a patients body or other objects. It is described as a set of symptoms where the visual perception and body image are altered, incorrectly perceiving the size of ones different body parts and external objects, which causes disorientation and distortion of the senses. Alice in wonderland syndrome aiws describes a set of symptoms with alteration of body image. Links to pubmed are also available for selected references. Just as in the book, people with the alice in wonderland syndrome appear to get bigger and smaller. Symptoms may comprise among others aschematia and dysmetropsia. But theres another, less celebrated wonderlandrelated anniversary occurring this year. Feb 18, 2018 the moment alice arrives in wonderland, she goes through a series of strange metamorphic changes, becoming larger or smaller after ingesting certain foods and liquids. Alice in wonderland syndrome symptoms, causes, treatment.
The alicein wonderland syndrome involves distortions in body images and shapes. The ames room illusion is one of the most popular perception illusions out there, as well as one of the most relevant illusions related to alice in wonderland syndrome as you can clearly see in the associated photo, the two people appear to be quite different in size. Alice in wonderland syndrome can in part be caused by a migraine and can affect ones sense of vision, but their sense of touch, hearing, sensation, as well as body image. When i was younger i used to get alice in wonderland syndrome, and in.
1083 1415 216 459 930 64 1379 391 397 82 1155 1219 847 778 330 234 1411 1369 324 1025 1434 943 1402 1050 95 456 701 271 1385 89 751 1335 12 1137 477 223 1250