BookJan Dirk Blom.
Summary: The book provides the first state-of-the-art overview of Alice in Wonderland syndrome, an enigmatic neurological condition characterized by a range of perceptual distortions (for example, seeing things as being larger or smaller than they actually are; seeing human faces change into animal faces; feeling one's body growing larger or smaller; experiencing time as slowing down or speeding up; etc.). It describes the clinical presentation of the syndrome, including its huge variety of symptoms and the variability of its natural course.The book starts out with several vivid vignettes, and then explains how and why the concept was introduced. In addition, it explains what is currently known about the underlying medical conditions and brain mechanisms, proposes a diagnostic algorithm, and makes recommendations for treatment. Throughout the book, a recurring question is whether or not Charles Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll) suffered from the symptoms he described so aptly in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Accordingly, it should appeal to anyone interested in the brain and its disorders, as well as readers interested in the life of Lewis Carroll.
Contents:
Inside the consulting room
The making of a syndrome
Charles Dodgson
Neurobiology
Diagnosis and treatment
Did Charles Dodgson suffer from Alice in Wonderland syndrome?
Appendix A: Table 1 Charles Dodgson's medical history
Table 2 Visual distortions (metamorphopsias)
Table 3 Somesthetic and other non-visual distortions
Table 4 Conditions causing Alice in Wonderland syndrome
Appendix B: Transcript of On Catching Cold, by Charles Dodgson (Oxford: University Press, 1881)
Appendix C: Proposed diagnostic criteria for Alice in Wonderland syndrome.