Unusual syndromes

Alice in Wonderland syndrome. In this neurological condition, a person hardly separates objects by size, considering everything as tiny (micropsia) or huge (macropsia) relative to actual size. Such a disorder may be the initial signal of infection with Epstein-Barr virus (mononucleosis), in some cases may be caused by a headache – migraine, or indicate the initial stage of epilepsy. In a healthy person, such changes in perception can be caused by narcotic drugs.

Sistine Chapel syndrome is a syncope that occurs when the head is tilted back, as a result of a sharp blood flow decrease in the vertebral arteries and brainstem ischemia. It is often found at atherosclerosis of the vertebral arteries and cervical spine osteochondrosis in elderly. The cause of syncope is vertebrobasillar insufficiency. First time this syndrome was described in tourists who examined the frescoes of Michelangelo on the dome of Sistine Chapel in Rome.

Stendhal syndrome. Another unusual disease that often occurs in tourists: a person experiences strong excitement, trembling, dizziness and even hallucinations, hitting a place where a large number of art objects are exhibited. Perhaps the most dangerous place for those suffering from this disease is the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. And for the first time Stendhal wrote about alarming symptoms in his book “Naples and Florence: The Journey from Milan to Reggio”.

Diogenes syndrome. The name of this syndrome is not entirely true with respect to the Greek philosopher Diogenes, who, according to a legend, lived in a barrel, demonstrating the world his minimum vital needs and abandoning all the conveniences existing at that time.

The prevalence of this syndrome in the world is about 3% among the elderly at the age of 65 and older. These people accumulate piles of garbage in their house and live in total poverty. At the same time, they absolutely do not monitor their appearance and hygiene; they are indifferent to dirt and sewage accumulated in the home. Oddly enough, they can be owners of large states. They consider themselves beggars, which make them eagerly accumulate and store any items.

Foreign accent syndrome – speech disorder, expressed in minor changes in intonation, speed and stress, which makes the patient’s speech similar to that of a foreigner trying to master a foreign language. Such a syndrome usually appears after a serious craniocerebral injury or stroke, its peak occurs 1-2 years after the injury.