What is Alice's syndrome in Wonderland, causes and manifestations, why children suffer from micropsia more often, how to avoid such a neurological pathology. Micropsia or Alice's Syndrome in Wonderland is a condition when the outside world is seen to be distorted: everything around and the person himself seems to be big or small. Such feelings and sensations are not associated with optical illusion, but are a rare form of pathology of the nervous system.
Description and mechanism of development of Alice in Wonderland syndrome
There is hardly a person who does not know the tale of Lewis Carroll "Alice in Wonderland". In the underground country, where the little girl ended up, everything was not the same as in ordinary life. She drank a magic potion, and then she became unusually small or so large that she felt her legs far below.
So in the fairy tale of an English writer. However, in order to feel like a baby or a giant, it turns out that you don't have to go to the magical distant kingdom-state at all. Such strange transformations can be experienced in the most ordinary life.
When a person gets sick with micropsia, all the surrounding objects begin to appear small or large. And this is not an optical illusion at all - a hallucination that can appear, for example, due to the use of alcohol (drugs), or the manifestation of any chronic disease, for example, schizophrenia.
Vision in this case has nothing to do with it. It's all about feelings, which, one might say, are "turned" inside out. This is due to a malfunction of the cerebral (brain) analyzers - nerve formations responsible for the perception and analysis of various external and internal stimuli.
For reasons that are not entirely clear, they suddenly begin to give out distorted information. And then it seems that, for example, an ordinary spoon has grown to a gigantic size, or, conversely, has become completely microscopic. Accordingly, a person who falls ill with such a country with a "fad" imagines himself to be small or large.
That is why such an unusual neurological disease received its second name from the tale of Lewis Carroll, in which the main character Alice experiences extraordinary transformations. It is believed that the author himself suffered from such a disease, and therefore described him in his strange story.
The syndrome develops suddenly, its course can be a matter of minutes, but sometimes the attacks are repeated for several days or even months.
The causes of Alice's Wonderland Syndrome are not entirely clear. However, doctors distinguish two groups of factors that affect the onset and course of the disease. First of all, this is the impact of trauma, poisoning, and some other circumstances that affect the work of the brain, its structures, which are responsible for the perception of the external world.
The second provoking moment can be an unfavorable psychoemotional effect. This should include both external conflicts, for example, a quarrel with your wife or with someone from your relatives, friends, and internal contradictions with yourself, with your “I”.
All these factors can manifest themselves simultaneously, but the main one will be the one that became the "trigger" for the syndrome.
According to the international classification of diseases (ICD-10), micropsia is not a chronic disease. It is classified as "symptoms and signs related to cognition, perception, emotional state and behavior."
The disease does not seem so because after its unexpected manifestation for a short period, it just as suddenly, without any medical intervention, disappears. Although there have been cases when it lasted for quite a long time.
Alice in Wonderland Syndrome is considered a disease of childhood and adolescence. It can occur in a child from 5 years of age, sometimes it manifests itself at the time of puberty (puberty), when a real "hormonal storm" associated with growing up begins in the adolescent's body. It is at this time, for not entirely clear reasons, that the process of perception is disturbed and everything around is perceived as in a crooked mirror - excessively small or large.
However, there are precedents when micropsia manifested itself in young people aged 20-25 years. This was preceded by head injuries or mental illness.
It is interesting! Micropsia is an extremely rare disease! In the United States, there are only three hundred such patients.
Types and stages of Alice in Wonderland syndrome
The disease can manifest itself in various forms. Sometimes found as macropsia. This is a state when everything around begins to be seen in gigantic proportions. Let's say an ordinary cat suddenly seems the size of a tiger. And the most ordinary flower grows to the size of a tree.
Sometimes the disease manifests itself as micropsia, sometimes it is called "dwarf" disease. When the same cat can "dry out" to the size of a mouse, and, for example, a birch tree shrinks in growth to a houseplant.
In its development, the syndrome goes through three stages. The first is characterized by headache attacks and anxiety, the causes of which are unclear to the patient.
On the second, the disease already manifests itself in all its symptoms, when the surrounding objects begin to seem too small or too large. More often, such attacks appear with the onset of dusk, in which things lose their real outlines. The disease only emphasizes their unnatural size.
In the third stage, the symptoms gradually disappear and the disease stops. After it, one feels weakness, fatigue, apathy. The patient gradually comes to his senses.
It's important to know! If it so happened that the objects around began to seem small or large, there is no need to panic. Of course, it is worth contacting, say, a psychologist, but as a rule, all this will go away by itself.
Causes of Alice in Wonderland Syndrome
It is completely unclear why the disease begins. It is assumed that micropsia is caused by disorders of a neurological nature, which are accompanied by mental disorders. The disease can be a separate disease or a manifestation of a serious disorder of the nervous system, in particular the work of the parts of the brain that are responsible for the perception and analysis of external stimuli.
Diseases that can provoke Alice in Wonderland syndrome include:
- Severe headaches … Often they are accompanied by hallucinations, which are accompanied by metamorphopsia. This is a pathology, when all objects seem to be distorted in their outlines and painted in colors other than in reality. They can move, be at rest and appear not at all where they really are.
- Epileptic seizures … They often cause hallucinations, which appear as a result of a malfunction of the nerve analyzers.
- Dementia (schizophrenia) … A state when the thinking process disintegrates and the activity of the psychoemotional sphere is disrupted.
- Viral disease (mononucleosis) … It is characterized by fever, fever, acute inflammation of the pharynx and lymph nodes. The liver and spleen are affected, the composition of the blood changes, the nervous system is inhibited. In this state, attacks of micro- and macropsia can begin.
- Head injuries and tumors … They can disrupt the normal functioning of certain areas of the brain, for example, the hypothalamus, which is responsible for all functions in the body. In this case, manifestations of Alice in Wonderland Syndrome are possible.
- Alcohol, drugs, other psychotropic substances … All of them change the psyche when inadequate ideas about the real sizes of nearby objects are possible. Some medications can also alter the psycho-emotional state and cause hallucinations.
It's important to know! Micropsia should not be confused with visual hallucinations, which can arise due to various reasons, when the object is only presented, but in reality it is not.
The main symptoms of Alice in Wonderland syndrome
The main indicator of the disease is objects of awkward size, they are seen this way even with closed eyes. This only confirms that Alice in Wonderland syndrome is associated with disorders of the nervous processes in the body and is not directly related to vision.
Since the disease manifests itself, as a rule, in childhood, micropsia in a child can be characterized by such a symptom as night fears, when a baby (baby) can cry and scream in the middle of the night, and when the mother's question is answered that she (mother) seems to be acceptable, small and somewhere far away. This is already a reason to consult a specialist.
Other symptoms include depression of mood, lack of confidence in behavior, and moodiness. All this is a consequence of inadequate perception of reality during the period of illness.
The external signs of micropsia in an adult include such behavioral and psycho-emotional disorders:
- Disorientation in space … This happens due to a violation of the correct perception of the world. The nerve analyzers of the brain inadequately process information coming from the outside, and therefore give incorrect information.
- Distorted perception of time … During seizures, the patient may feel that, for example, the hands of the clock are speeding up or slowing down their run.
- Bad mood … Before an exacerbation and during an illness, health worsens, unfounded fears appear, a person falls into prostration.
- Short-term agnosia … This is a condition when visual, auditory and tactile perception is disturbed, although the psycho-emotional sphere is in order.
- The illogicality of actions … Distorted perception of objects (small or large) leads to contradictory actions. Let's say an ordinary cat is seen so big that the patient gets scared and runs away.
- Migraine … Frequent headaches can lead to the development of micropsia. It is known that the author of the fairy tale "Alice in Wonderland" suffered from migraine attacks, perhaps that is why he wrote such an extraordinary story.
- Somatic manifestations … Alice in Wonderland Syndrome leads to dramatic changes in well-being. It can be tachycardia, pain in the temples, a large jump in pressure, cardiac arrhythmia. Sometimes there is a feeling of suffocation, rapid breathing, frequent yawning, involuntary sighs. Often, tremors of the extremities begin, there is a burning sensation in the tips of the fingers.
- Upset stomach … It is expressed in spasms and pain in the gastrointestinal tract, which end in diarrhea.
- Epstein-Barr virus … This acute infectious disease is characterized by increased fatigue and sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, and some other extremely negative signs. Against this background, micropsia sometimes develops.
It's important to know! Symptoms of Alice in Wonderland Syndrome are often a manifestation of a completely different disease. The main distinguishing feature here is the feeling that all surrounding objects are presented in a distorted form - small or large.
Ways to Deal with Alice in Wonderland Syndrome
What to do if such a rare disease has already "caught"? Moreover, there is no specially developed treatment method for Alice in Wonderland syndrome as a separate disease. It should be remembered that this is a childhood illness. But sometimes the ailment appears in quite adults. How to be in this case? Let's consider both options in more detail.
Features of the treatment of micropsia in a child
Parents should see a doctor for a comprehensive examination. It is imperative to get the advice of a psychiatrist, neuropathologist, infectious disease specialist. The latter must determine if there is a disease with encephalitis, which can provoke the syndrome. You also need to visit an optometrist to rule out a possible vision problem.
After a complete examination, when an ultrasound scan (ultrasound) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have been passed, the doctor will conclude whether the disease is associated with any pathology in the development of the child.
Parents should remember that during the period of exacerbation of the syndrome, you need to carefully monitor your child so that the fears that capture the child at this time do not lead to more serious consequences. And if the disease has gone far and is severe, it is definitely recommended (on the advice of a doctor!) To take appropriate medications.
These can be sedatives and sedatives approved for use in childhood. For example, Persen, a plant-based product containing valerian, lemon balm and mint, has a good calming effect. Available in tablets and capsules. The latter are recommended for children from 12 years old.
If your child is sick with Alice in Wonderland Syndrome, don't be too nervous. It is highly likely that with age, the disease will go away on its own. You just need to be patient and not deprive the child of your care.
The subtleties of dealing with micropsia in an adult
Since there is no specially developed diagnosis and treatment method for this disease, they are based on the patient's testimony that he himself talks about his illness. General tests are given, and a wide examination is carried out in the hope that it will help identify the causes of the disease.
In addition to encephalography and computed tomography, a puncture is done - the spinal cord is taken from the spine for examination. If the pathology is not identified, a course of treatment is carried out aimed at relieving anxiety symptoms, which are manifested by headache, anxiety associated with panic, and often poor sleep.
For this, sedative drugs are prescribed. It can be tranquilizers, antipsychotics and normotimics. Carvalol has a good sedative effect. In addition, it helps relieve spasms of the cerebral vessels, which is very important in cases of micropsia attacks.
Adjunctive treatment makes it easier to endure the attack of Alice in Wonderland Syndrome, and after a while it goes away on its own.
With micropsia, the usual ideas about the world around them are violated, and therefore the sick person desperately needs support. Only the attention of his family will help him to overcome the attack of the disease with the least damage to his health.
Jokingly and seriously! Remember that online treatment will not cure the disease. A seemingly innocent typo in the name or dose of a medicine can lead to death!
Consequences of Alice in Wonderland Syndrome
Attacks of the disease, which is sometimes called "Lilliputian vision", bring many unpleasant moments. When it seems to a sick person that everything around looks unreal, it leaves its mark on the psyche.
The person becomes insecure in his actions, withdraws into himself, tries to find a fulcrum in his inner world, and therefore avoids communication. A distorted perception of reality forces you not to leave the house, so as not to get into an unpleasant situation, to avoid ridicule. These are the social consequences of micropsia.
However, there is also a purely psychological background to the disease. This is awful in its experiences the expectation of repeated attacks, when everything around suddenly appears in an unreal, frightening form.
A child with micropsia does not yet realize this, but only cries with fear, hoping that his parents will calm him down. But a teenager or an adult suffering from a "dwarf disease" understands everything, and therefore is internally tense in the constant expectation of a new "swoop" of Alice's syndrome.
All these factors together have a very bad effect on the psyche and physical condition of the patient, when the cardiovascular, nervous, and other systems of the body are inhibited. This leads to deep depression, which can be accompanied by disability.
It's important to know! To reduce the suffering of a patient with micropsia, he must be referred for examination to a specialist. Only a doctor can give advice on how to alleviate the course of the disease. Watch the video about Alice in Wonderland Syndrome:
A disease in which a completely innocent-looking bunny turns into a huge beast, and, for example, the growth of the sick person suddenly became so large that his head broke through the ceiling, and his legs went through the floor out of nowhere - this is no longer a fairy tale about Alice in Wonderland. In such a state, control over reality is lost, a person falls into the world of unreality. It could end tragically for him. It is good that such a disease is extremely rare and, as a rule, if not associated with any pathology, it goes away on its own. However, you need to know about such a sore. God forbid that someone close to him fell ill with such an unpleasant syndrome.
