Auditory-visual synaesthesia in a patient with basilar migraine.
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Aged↗
Biomedical subjects
K Podoll
Publications and source records attributed to K Podoll.
[Self-help on the internet. Chances and risks of communication in electronic networks].
The worldwide web is used for self-help purposes by an increasing number of patients with a variety of mental disorders. The benefits and dangers of applying the internet in psychiatry are discussed based on a case report concerning a female with post traumatic stress and multiple personality disorders who visited a chat-room in the internet with two of her 48 supernumerary identities. During one stage of her history, she displayed an excessive use of the internet which must be considered a symptom of mental disorder rather than a distinct disease entity, viz. "internet addiction".
Behavior, Addictive↗
Splitting of the body image as somesthetic aura symptom in migraine.
Splitting of the body image was illustrated as a somesthetic aura symptom in three of the 562 entries to the national Migraine Art competitions, confirming previous descriptions of this rare phenomenon in the migraine literature. In this type of self-experienced paroxysmal body schema disturbance, the own body is perceived as being split, usually in the mid-line, into two halves that may be displaced or separated from each other. Splitting of the body image most frequently applies to the migraine sufferer's head. The said phenomenon, the pathomechanisms of which are obscure, must not be confused with the visual illusion of illusory splitting.
Adolescent↗
[Obligatory and facultative symptoms of the Alice in wonderland syndrome].
The Alice in Wonderland syndrome (AIWS), as described by Todd in 1955, denotes a variety of self-experienced paroxysmal body schema disturbances (obligatory core symptoms of the AIWS) which may co-occur with depersonalization, derealization, visual illusions and disorders of the time perception (facultative symptoms of the AIWS). The name comes, of course, from Lewis Carroll's 1865 novel "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland", which is believed to have been inspired by Carroll's own migraine experiences documented as early as 1856. Recent studies of the AIWS occurring as somesthetic migraine aura indicated that the body schema disturbance of macrosomatognosia most frequently affects the head and upper extremities, paralleling the extension of their representation in the human brain. As a misapprehension commonly encountered in the medical literature, it has been suggested to define the AIWS by the presence of visual rather than somesthetic perceptual disturbances, e.g. metamorphopsia and/or visual hallucinations, but this change and broadening of Todd's definition of the AIWS turns it to a both scientifically and clinically useless concept.
Hallucinations↗
Corona phenomenon as visual aura symptom in migraine.
The visual illusion of a typical corona phenomenon was represented as a visual migraine aura symptom in six of 562 Migraine Art pictures, whereas another five pictures illustrated atypical variants of the said illusion. The extra edges of the corona phenomenon are commonly seen around the perceptual images of objects, but in atypical cases they can similarly surround illusory images and both elementary and complex hallucinatory images. The corona phenomenon is strongly associated with visual loss and the presence of elementary geometric hallucinations.
Adolescent↗
Recurrent Lilliputian hallucinations as visual aura symptom in migraine.
Since her early 30s a 72-year-old female migraine sufferer has experienced recurrent episodes of Lilliputian hallucinations occurring at the peak of her severe migraine attacks and lasting between 2 min and 5 min, suggesting that her miniature hallucinations represent a visual migraine aura symptom. The existence of Lilliputian hallucinations of a migrainous nature is confirmed by four similar case reports reviewed from the migraine literature. The occurrence of similar Lilliputian hallucinations in the syndrome of peduncular hallucinosis, due to mesencephalic and/or thalamic lesions, supports the notion that the patient's recurrent Lilliputian hallucinations might have been aura symptoms of basilar migraine.
Aged↗
[The internet as a delusional topic in paranoid schizophrenia].
Two patients with paranoid schizophrenia had delusions involving the internet. Additionally, one of them experienced computer databases as being distributed to other people in a phenomenologically similar way to that encountered in thought broadcasting. The presented cases illustrate the historical association of the contents of delusions in schizophrenia.
Adult↗
Macrosomatognosia and microsomatognosia in migraine art.
OBJECTIVES: To study macrosomatognosia and microsomatognosia occurring as migraine aura symptoms. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Topological distribution of these body schema disturbances were assessed in a collection of 562 pictures submitted as entries to the 4 national Migraine Art competitions. RESULTS: The said symptoms were illustrated by 18 artists. Macrosomatognosia was encountered more frequently than microsomatognosia and applied more often to single parts of the body, whereas microsomatognosia mostly affected the entire body. In partial macrosomatognosia, the head and upper extremities were the body parts most frequently involved, paralleling the extension of their representation in the sensory maps of the human brain. CONCLUSIONS: The conscious perceptual experiences of whole body macro- and microsomatognosia argue in favour of the existence of an integrative neuronal network mediating whole body perception. Partial macro- and microsomatognosia suggest a reversible modification of cerebral maps of somatosensation during the migraine aura.
Adolescent↗
Illusory splitting as visual aura symptom in migraine.
Illusory splitting was illustrated as a visual migraine aura symptom in six of 562 Migraine Art pictures. In this type of illusion, objects or persons appear to be split, along fracture lines of varying form and orientation, into two or more parts that may be displaced and separated from each other. The illusion is strongly associated with the presence of elementary geometric hallucinations. Phenomenological similarities and differences of illusory splitting to the visual perceptual disturbances of fragmentation and mosaic illusion are discussed.
Epilepsy↗
[History of scientific and popular educational films in neurology and psychiatry in Germany 1985-1929].
Based on a survey of a variety of sources from medical and film history, an account is given of the history of scientific and popular educational films in neurology and psychiatry in Germany in the era of the silent film 1895-1929. A central event for the centralization of the production and distribution of medical scientific educational films was the foundation, in 1918, of the 'cultural department' of the Ufa film company which established, under the direction of the neurologist Curt Thomalla, a large medical film archive. Curt Thomalla was also the first who developed a dramatic type of popular educational film amalgamating medical and melodramatical features, thereby greatly increasing its mass impact, but also anticipating central elements of its later misuse by the Nazi film propaganda.
Germany↗
[Recurrent dreams as migraine aura symptoms].
Elementary geometric imagery seen in the visual aura of migraine can be experienced as incorporated into the content of a dream which precedes the awakening with a migraine headache. Furthermore, recurrent dreams featuring complex visual imagery, often terrifying nightmares, can occur as migraine aura symptoms. The said phenomena are illustrated by two original case reports and discussed against the background of a review of the literature.
Aged↗
[The migraine of Immanual Kant].
The German philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) suffered, since his forties, from a migraine with aura which showed a significant exacerbation in his seventies, coinciding with the onset of symptoms of a senile dementia of Alzheimer's type. Recorded symptoms of Kant's migraine include recurrent scintillating scotomas, one episode of diplopia, two episodes of complete amaurosis and frequent headaches described as oppressions of the head. The said symptoms of Kant's migraine can be traced not only in his letters and in accounts of his contemporary biographers, but also in the philosopher's published work.
Adult↗
[Posttraumatic stress disorder in patients with neurogenic amnesia for the traumatic event].
The development of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in patients with neurogenic amnesia for the traumatic event is recorded in 2 own patients and in 19 cases from the clinical literature. With a single exception, all patients were accident victims with closed head injuries. Only about three quarters of the patients completely fulfilled DSM-III-R criteria of PTSD. Nineteen patients displayed involuntary conscious memories of aspects of the traumatic event (presenting as recurrent intrusive thoughts, images or dreams) co-existent with a complete or partial lack of voluntary conscious memories of the trauma, suggesting that different memory systems and distinct brain mechanisms subserve these phenomena. The said clinical observations are discussed against the background of current neuropsychological models of multiple memory systems. The recorded cases demonstrate that declarative episodic memory is not necessary for symptoms of PTSD to emerge, whereas preserved functions of non-declarative memory systems represent a sufficient condition for the development of PTSD symptoms.
Accidents, Occupational↗
Migraine experiences as artistic inspiration in a contemporary artist.
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Famous Persons↗
Lewis Carroll's migraine experiences.
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England↗
Cenesthetic pain sensations illustrated by an artist suffering from migraine with typical aura.
In addition to attacks with the well-known pulsating characteristics of migrainous headache, migraine patients may experience a variety of peculiar pain sensations which are phenomenologically similar to the spontaneous sensations occurring in patients with thalamic disturbances and to the cenesthesias described as basic symptoms in functional psychoses. A 36-year-old artist with a history of migraine with typical aura provided impressive illustrations of cenesthetic pain sensations experienced during his migraine attacks, including sensations of pressure and sensations of pulling. It is suggested that cenesthetic pain sensations represent aura symptoms of migraine indicative of focal cerebral dysfunction, probably in the thalamic region. The occurrence of cenesthetic pain sensations as a migraine symptom supports the notion of an organic etiology of cenesthesias, as postulated in Huber's concept of basic symptoms of functional psychoses.
Adult↗
Out-of-body experiences and related phenomena in migraine art.
In a collection of 562 migraine art pictures, seven pieces illustrate various elements of out-of-body experiences (OBEs) and related phenomena, including the somesthetic sensations of a duplicate or parasomatic body and the visual experiences of perceiving the own body, i.e. autoscopy, and its environment from a vantage point out of the body. Phenomenological features of the OBEs depicted are compared with 17 similar case reports reviewed from the literature. It is concluded that OBEs can occur as migraine aura symptom, which supports the notion that OBEs represent a preformed functional response of the brain. This neuropsychological theory supplements existing psychological theories of OBEs, which consider the said phenomena as representing hallucinatory experiences based on imagination and memory.
Female↗
Interdisciplinary clinical assessment of patients with illness attributed to environmental factors.
Patients with health problems attributed to environmental factors such as chemical pollutants and electromagnetic fields often do not present evidence of an environmental aetiology of their symptoms. It has been postulated, that their problems are due to disorders diagnosed by other medical disciplines, especially allergology and psychiatry. Our study was designed to subject these patients to a comprehensive diagnostic program involving several medical disciplines in order to achieve diagnoses appropriate to explain the patients' symptoms. Fifty patients consecutively referred to the department of environmental medicine in the university hospital of Aachen, Germany, were submitted to the following examinations: (i) environmental medicine (history, clinical examination, biological and/or ambient monitoring for environmental agents); (ii) allergological examination (history, clinical examination, skin tests); (iii) psychiatric examination (psychopathological examination, psychometric and neuropsychological testing). In addition, the patients were examined in other hospital departments according to the symptoms presented. The findings were discussed in case conferences attended by the physicians involved in order to achieve individual diagnoses. The numbers of patients to whom diagnoses were given by different medical disciplines are as follows: psychiatry (32 patients), dermatology (4), allergology (2), neurology (2), rheumatology (2), gynaecology (1), haematology (1). The most frequent mental disorders diagnosed by the psychiatrists were somatoform disorders (19), followed by schizophreniform and delusion disorders (7). In spite of extensive diagnostic efforts, patients with health problems attributed to the environment usually do not present sufficient evidence of an environmental aetiology of their symptoms. On the other hand the symptoms often meet the diagnostic criteria of other diseases, especially of mental disorders.
Adult↗