What Is Alice in Wonderland Syndrome?
7. Causes of AWS
The exact cause of AWS is unknown; however, it is clear that someone experiencing episodes does not have a mental illness, an underlying medical problem, or damage to the eyes. The part of the brain thought to be responsible for AWS symptoms is the temporoparietal-occipital carrefour (TPO-C). This is the location where the brain makes sense of visual-spatial and sensory information. Changes in electrical activity in this area can cause abnormal blood flow, and thus result in skewed perceptions of reality.
Altered electrical activity to the TPO-C region is correlated with the following illnesses: mononucleosis; Epstein-Barr syndrome; Lyme disease; H1N1 influenza; temporal lobe epilepsy; brain tumors; brain trauma; acute disseminated encephalomyelitis; and intoxication with dihydrocodeine, topiramate, or other psychoactive drugs. However, most cases occur without the presence of any of these.
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