Researching rare or misunderstood psychological and/or neurological disorders (or things that are related) so that you don't have to: part one. DISCLAIMER: I do not have AIWS, so there may be a few errors or mistakes found in my work. However, I did most definitely try to get it all as accurate as I could. Disorder name? Alice in Wonderland Syndrome, or AIWS. The reason it is called this is because the misperceptions that the individuals with this disorder experience resemble what happened to Alice in the book. It is a widely held belief/speculation that Lewis Carroll (the author) may have based Alice's experiences on his own. Although this isn't confirmed by any means, historians consider the hypothesis inconclusive, but plausible. What is it, exactly? AIWS is a rare neurological disorder that alters a person's perception of their body and the world around them. This causes distortions in size, shape, spacial relationships, and other sensory-related factors, most commonly beginning in childhood, with a mean age of onset around 8.5 years old. However, it is important to note that this disorder can affect people of any age. Perceptual Distortions may include: - Metamorphopsia, or visual distortions in size, movement, or color. - Macropsia (Objects appearing larger than their actual size) - Micropsia (Objects appearing smaller than their actual size) - Pelopsia (Objects seeming nearer than they are) - Teleopsia (Objects seeming further than they are) - Distorted sense of time, with moments seeming to pass very slowly or quickly - Inability or strongly diminished ability to see color - Lines and contours appear to be wavy - Distorted sense of motion - Sound distortions (sounds may seem louder or softer than they are, or hearing noises that sound distorted or hearing unexplained music, voices, or other noises) - Body image changes (parts of the body may feel larger, smaller, or differently shaped) - Things appearing to seem 2-dimensional when the individual knows that it should be 3-dimensional - Depersonalization or derealization syndrome may be an associated symptom. This means that the patients feel disconnected from reality, having the experience but feeling as if they aren't really there. Visual perception symptoms are the *most* common, accounting for about 75% of cases in some studies, whereas self-perception symptoms (which include depersonalization/derealization) make up a smaller percentage of cases. Please note that this is different from hallucinations and illusions! A hallucination is seeing something that isn't really there, while illusions have a source in the outside world that is misinterpreted by the brain. Distortions are based on sensory impressions, and the duration of these symptoms tend to vary. For an individual with AIWS, they are actually perceiving the world in a different way. AIWS also needs to be distinguished from schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders, as it is not the same. In addition, people with AIWS almost always seem to know that the things they are experiencing are fake, and don't get confused on what's real and what's not. Causes: - In adults, migraines are the most common cause - In children, Epstein-Barr virus infections are the most common cause. (Commonly known as Mononucleosis or Mono), and other viral infections can be a cause. An infection could change how much oxygenated blood gets to certain regions of the brain involved in processing sensory input. - Epilepsy (Temporal lobe epilepsy can trigger symptoms) - Head trauma and brain injuries as well as central nervous system lesions - Psychoactive drugs (Use of hallucinogenic drugs can cause temporary AIWS-like experiences) However, about half of people who experience these AIWS symptoms have no clear reason or cause when diagnosed. The good news, though? It's also pretty likely for it to just go away. Many children simply just grow out of it, or find treatment for the underlying infection or migraine. Remember: If you are experiencing any of these symptoms or believe that it's possible that you have AIWS, please contact your physician for more information. [There are no other projects that I've finished yet, but check back in a fee days to see some others!] *By the way, the character shown in this project is NOT a representation of myself, however I'll be using them in my art to help explain what I'm researching.
