Talk:Alice in Wonderland syndrome

This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 11 January 2019 and 17 May 2019. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Ashleyhomolka7312 (article contribs). This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 13 January 2020 and 20 April 2020. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): OKtamu (article contribs). This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 29 June 2020 and 21 August 2020. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): S.Huda, Future PharmD, Mhabtezion, CAngerman, Catherinerbarton (article contribs).

Cough syrup

There is some suggestion, unsubstiantated, that certain ingredients of cough syrup may help cause micropsia.

Your damn right it does. Anyone who has ever taken a high dose of Dextromethorphan knows that it can cause visual distortions which may make objects seem smaller, or bigger. Of course these are effects from taking doses of Dextromethorphan that are far out of the medical dosing range. --Arm

That's funny, because yesterday I just experienced this after taking a dose of cough syrup. I wonder if it was just a coincidence. I've also had this happened to me many times in the past. Aurora sword (talk) 04:24, 11 December 2007 (UTC)

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"Micropsia does not only affect visual perception, but also one's hearing, sense of touch, and sometimes one's own body image; the syndrome continues even when the eyes are closed."

So... if I'm interpreting this correctly, it means you can feel like different body parts are bigger are smaller? I have this happen to me sometimes while I'm lying in bed trying to sleep. It's not a visual thing... if, for example, I feel as if my hand is small, I can pull it out and look at it and it looks normal to me, but it still feels that way. I'm just wondering if this is what this part of the article is referring to, as I'm not sure if these symptoms come from AIWS or not, and I'd like to find out for sure since my mother doesn't seem to believe me when I tell her I've experienced AIWS many times before. (Hope I don't sound crazy or anything... don't worry, I'm not.) Shivers 23:03, 18 April 2006 (UTC)

I think that you are correct. Try to see if you can find descriptions of micropsia or AIW in PubMed. Not that AIW is necessarily a disease, but the medical literature might have info and stories. Jclerman 20:21, 25 April 2006 (UTC)

WHY ARE THERE TWO ARTICLES OF THE SAME NAME?? THERE IS A SECOUND ARTILCE TITLED THE ALICE IN WONDERLAND SYNDROME, WHY IS THAT ?? P.S. THE SECOUND PAGE SEEMS TO MORE INFORMATIVE THAT THIS ONE —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.164.156.17 (talk) 00:18, 26 March 2008 (UTC)

WHY ARE YOU SHOUTING??????? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 83.228.185.209 (talk) 21:16, 16 July 2009 (UTC)

Alice in Wonderland Syndrome is a general term.

Alice in Woderland Syndrome is neurologica condition, encompassing, micropsia (ethimologically "small sight"), macropsia ("big sight), distorsion of body parts and of time.

There are nevertheless ophtalmologic causes to micropsia, like macular or corneal oedema http://www.springerlink.com/index/X22427718J127L83.pdf, http://pn.bmj.com/cgi/reprint/3/3/178-a

It looks like this article is based on [1], and written by someone who had little understanding of the subject at hand, and did little research past summarizing this confused web page.

5 min later: I edited out the mix between AiWLS and micropsia, and creeated a micropsia article.Zorbid (talk) 11:12, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Lilliputian hallucinations/Delirium Tremens

Lilliputian hallucinations, a psychological symptom of Delirium tremens. However, there is no mention of delirium tremens here. (Glossary_of_psychiatry#Lilliputian_hallucinations does mention lilliputian hallucinations in the context of delirium tremens, but only as a brief definition of the term) Could someone add a mention to this? Ged3000 (talk) 19:40, 15 May 2008 (UTC)

I've added a brief comment at signs and symptoms and provided a PMID 9885400 reference. Regards, CycloneNimrod^Talk? 20:15, 15 May 2008 (UTC)

I really don't think there is any classical link between Lilliputian hallucinations and DT's, despite the case report. Instead, lilliputian hallucinations are part of peduncular hallucinosis, or Lhermitte's hallucinosis. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 151.197.116.253 (talk) 12:43, 15 August 2008 (UTC)

Not linked with age?

I could have sworn this also happens sometimes in children around the ages of 4-8 or so, and then goes away as they get older. Actually I thought that was the one of the more common ways people have it.--75.95.95.227 (talk) 06:23, 18 May 2008 (UTC)

I read in an old issue of Annals In Pediatrics that this syndrome occurs mainly in younger children, around the ages you mentioned. This has been the case in my experience, although I diagnosed it once in a 16-year-old girl.--Beezer137 (talk) 23:16, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

Some years ago I got an email from a narcoleptic subject, college student, that under severa emotional stress developed AIW acutely and transitorily. In particular, she went for a drive and saw the little beings in front of the car. I've had one or two AIW during dreams. Jclerman (talk) 01:52, 2 June 2008 (UTC)

The article used to refer to childhood, but much of the original text was lost during a re-write – I think it needs to be merged back in! http://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Alice_in_Wonderland_syndrome&oldid=199910121 — Lee J Haywood (talk) 10:27, 20 June 2008 (UTC)

Removal of prognosis section

It read "Alice in Wonderland Syndrome is usually short lived and does not require any immediate treatment. Treating the underlying cause (usually migraines) results in the syndrome disappearing."

It's unsourced and lacks factual accuracy imo but also could lead those who come to wikipedia (wrongly) for medical advice to think there is no reason to see their G.P. AIWS could be a sign of infection by EBV.

Perhaps a causes section would be more useful than a prognosis section for what is a transitory perception disorder? Cheers, Nk.sheridan   Talk 22:18, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

I know of people who have had AIW syndrome for years, into midlife.

One problem: under signs and symptoms, first paragraph, you have "The hallmark sign of AIWS is a migraine, and may in part be caused the by symptom itself." If I'm understanding correctly what you're saying, that migraine is a symptom - you are incorrect. Migraine is an illness, not a symptom. AIWS may actually be an aura which is followed by a migraine. In any case, migraine should not be called a symptom.

Another problem: Same paragraph. You say "although mostly limited tot he eyes, AIWS ..... Then later you say "The most prominent and often most disturbing symptom is that of altered body image" Then in the following paragraph you say "the second major symptom is the the distorion of visual perception." you are contradicting yourself.

Another problem: Under diagnosis: "mechanical change to the body's systems" Mechanical is not the correct word to use. I would suggest using "physiologic"

Last one: Same paragraph: I would remove the comma following "presumed when other,"

It's a fascinating syndrome. I suffer/suffered from it myself. I know quite a bit about it. I hope you took this criticism to be constructive. --Julcal (talk) 00:55, 6 April 2009 (UTC)julcal

One more thing - the treatment section is way out-dated - AWIS is treated like most migraines are treated. Check out the migraine page on Wiki. LSD??? can you document that? --Julcal (talk) 00:57, 6 April 2009 (UTC)julcal

Please note you shouldn't refer to us as "you", as it wasn't a single person who wrote this article. You have acknowledged some mistakes, perhaps you could fix them? Cyclonenim :  Chat  11:58, 6 April 2009 (UTC)

Yes, please use the word "yous" or "y'all". Also, Cyclonenim, perhaps since Julcal made you aware of the errors, you could, rather than acknowledging that he could fix them, fix them yourself? ;) Just kidding mate,--74.166.60.24 (talk) 02:29, 10 April 2009 (UTC)

You can edit the article yourself by going to the edit section from the article if you are so critical of them.(talk) 02:42, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

so i'm 20 years old and i'm still suffering from AIWS, it causes me to see a room bigger, people look either larger or smaller, my sense of touch, sight and hearing are all altered. and if i fall asleep when this is happening, i'll have a reacuring dream. (btw, it's not a pleasent one, and very hard to describe). i've been told that it should have stopped happening years ago but, me and my sister both still experince it. (she's 17) is it possible that it could continue to happen for the rest of ower lives? jacob and amanda mosley —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.177.6.195 (talk) 02:26, 10 April 2009 (UTC)

I did suffer from this

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When i was a kid and a teen I often had the sensation of things became big and small and big in a fast cycle for 5 or 10 minutes stopping suddenly as it came. I didnot remember anything that provoked it, and i never feared it, because I kwew it would stop, nor headache. Of course i tried to sit down but sometimes I walked, it was funny. I also had strage sensations when i fall asleep, sometimes i awaked with the sensation that i was not breathing, or sometimes I awaked but i can't move, sometime i had the sensation my body was flying but i couldnt move. I hadn't sufferend those cycles of macropsia/micropsia any more since long time ago but flying sensation happens to me time after time when I'm pretty stressed —Preceding unsigned comment added by 189.179.143.198 (talk) 10:13, 7 July 2009 (UTC)

I have AIW at 15. I actually find it quite fun, although I do get frequent headaches. If feels funny. 76.100.244.127 (talk) 20:12, 30 January 2010 (UTC)Jameson

I too at 14 frequently suffer from this, also at age 15(my second name is Todd to which is quite a coincidence) and find it is often provoked when I sit in a dark room for around 10 to 30 minutes, mostly when im trying to sleep and have my eyes closed. I have however found a technique for dealing with it; basically when looking at a deformed object wether it be shrinking, growing or cycling attempt to directly show your brain what the size of the object is. the best way to do this is by measuring the object with a device that clearly displays measurements. say a box that you know to be 10cm wide appears to be alot larger, hold a ruler up to the box and show yourself that it measures 10cm and run your eyes up and down the ruler and it should at least temporaraly shrink back to normal. This works for me sometimes and I would like to hear how it works for others.--93.96.16.14 (talk) 18:14, 6 February 2010 (UTC)

I find this rather strange. I often experienced AIWS symptoms, but forgot about it until today, when a friend refered to this article. I used to experience it while busy on my cellphone in a darkish room. first my head would feel fuzzy and sounds get distorted. My hands and cellphone would look and feel as if it were further away from my body. Lastly my mouth would start to feel dry. I never had headACHES and the only way I could stop it, was by going to sleep. It is strange that I simply forgot about it as if it were all just a dream. Honestly, when thinking about it now, it still feels like a dream. Trivialties (talk) 17:11, 15 July 2010 (UTC)

--I also suffer from AIWS. There is mention of a migraine diet in this entry. First of all, I know there are foods that are frequently associated with migraine, but not everyone has food triggers, so diet is not a treatment, but a form of prophylaxis for some people. Secondly, I have never actually heard of "the migraine diet." Does someone have any substantiation for this diet? Because based on my knowledge, which is pretty thorough for a lay person, there is no such thing as "the migraine diet," just dietary triggers specific to individuals. I am not going to edit this on the off chance that someone can come up with documentation for a diet. Given I would have to prove a negative, I don't think I can authoritatively edit it. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.4.96.216 (talk) 06:47, 29 April 2011 (UTC)

The 'Signs and Symptoms' section appears to have been mostly copied+pasted from my site aiws.info --Rikkus (talk) 09:41, 13 May 2011 (UTC)

-- I suffered from it when I was a kid, around 6 I guess. Sometimes, when I was falling asleep I got that wierd sensation in my head and I knew that when I open my eyes and look at my hand, it will appear very small and far away. As when you look through binocular the opposite way. It was funny and I kind of liked it, and I was trying to explain it to mom, but she didnt believe it..which I totally understand :). I aslo suffer from headaches since 6 so maybe it's related. However, Alice syndrome dissapeared when i got older. Headaches did not :( — Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.74.235.196 (talk) 03:22, 23 May 2013 (UTC)

Delirium

Isn't it a kind of delirium? E.g. caused by infection.217.114.191.154 (talk) 19:50, 26 June 2012 (UTC)

References removed from main page

Two references that were not being used, moved here. - 203.158.37.9 (talk) 22:32, 30 September 2012 (UTC)

• Podoll K, Ebel H, Robinson D, Nicola U (2002). "[Obligatory and facultative symptoms of the Alice in wonderland syndrome]". Minerva Med. 93 (4): 287–93. PMID 12207198. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Kew, J., Wright, A., & Halligan, P.W. (1998). Somesthetic aura: The experience of "Alice in Wonderland", The Lancet, 351,p1934

How trustworthy is source 15?

Seriously, no 17-year-old that i have ever met talks like the quote referred to in source 15. if a medical professional has paraphrased the 17-year-old then fair enough but it should not be in quotation marks. i read the source that it came from and there are several odd grammatical errors in it such as "a 20-years old male" - this suggests to me that despite its appearance of a legitimate and respectable website, it may not be. 2.24.142.38 (talk) 15:49, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

Unclear

In the first paragraph I'm not sure what this means: "Size distortion may occur of other sensory modalities." If I can't understand it the same is probably true for others. Best Regards, Barbara (WVS) ✐  ✉ 21:02, 6 January 2018 (UTC)

Yes, that is oddly phrased. They may mean distorted proprioception, where parts of the body become rubbery and seem to shrink or expand.2A01:CB0C:CD:D800:9994:CCF2:8340:3E40 (talk) 12:22, 18 September 2019 (UTC)

Hypnagogic phenomenon

It definitely is, and hypnagogia is heightened by fatigue, that is also true.2A01:CB0C:CD:D800:9994:CCF2:8340:3E40 (talk) 12:20, 18 September 2019 (UTC)

Proposed Edits

Hello. I am currently assigned to this article for a class and I will be editing it within the next few days. It looks like there is a lot of good information here, but the article seems to have gotten a bit disorganized over the course of editing. Using the Asperger Syndrome article for reference, I intend to streamline this article's subheadings and generally format it more closely to Wikipedia's manual of style for medical articles. For now, I'll just be altering the heading names, with more substantial edits later on if these heading changes are acceptable. Best regards, OKtamu (talk) 15:13, 2 March 2020 (UTC)

Moving sections

The literary references felt a bit out of place under the causes section. I moved it to the Society and Culture section for now, but I'm open to adjustments to this if there is a better option for placement. Best regards, OKtamu (talk) 16:42, 4 March 2020 (UTC)

Reorganizing Signs and Symptoms

The signs and symptoms section has some good information, but it seems a little scattered. On that note, I'm going to create several subsections to organize the various symptoms a little better and separate them from other general information in that paragraph. Best regards, OKtamu (talk) 16:46, 16 March 2020 (UTC)

Continued edits

Earlier on the talk page, a few people seemed confused by the wording of the lead. I will be revising this section for clarity to the best of my ability. I will also be revising the signs and symptoms section, as this section seems to repeat the same information at different points. If anyone thinks these edits need to be altered or corrected, I'll be linking the old version of the page below. Best regards, OKtamu (talk) 15:24, 18 March 2020 (UTC)

Here is the link for the old page https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Alice_in_Wonderland_syndrome&oldid=945865451 Best regards, OKtamu (talk) 18:44, 18 March 2020 (UTC)

Final Edits

To the best of my ability, I have finished going over the entire article sentence by sentence for general grammar, flow, and tone. This was completed in two separate edits, and I will link the previous version of the article here if anyone thinks my edits need to be revised or previous wording needs to be retrieved. The link is here https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Alice_in_Wonderland_syndrome&oldid=946200601 Best regards, OKtamu (talk) 15:08, 23 March 2020 (UTC)

Foundations II 2020 group 1 proposed edits

Hi there, also currently assigned this article for a class and will be updating and proposing edits in this area.

-Complete any missing citations

Medications referenced for treatment