Society and culture
Comparison with Alices Adventures in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland Syndrome, a neurological condition associated with both micropsia and macropsia, is named after Lewis Carrolls famous 19th century novel Alices Adventures in Wonderland. In the story, the title character, Alice, experiences numerous situations similar to those of micropsia and macropsia. Speculation has arisen that Carroll may have written the story using his own direct experience with episodes of micropsia resulting from the numerous migraines he was known to have. It has also been suggested that Carroll may have had temporal lobe epilepsy. Comparison with Gullivers Travels
Micropsia has also been related to Jonathan Swifts novel Gullivers Travels. It has been referred to as "Lilliput sight" and "Lilliputian hallucination," a term coined by British physician Raoul Leroy in 1909, based on the small people that inhabited the island of Lilliput in the novel. Research
Current experimental evidence focuses on the involvement of the occipitotemporal pathway in both the perceptual equivalence of objects across translations of retinal position and also across size modifications. Recent evidence points to this pathway as a mediator for an individuals perception of size. Even further, numerous cases suggest that size perception may be dissociated from other aspects of visual perception such as color and movement. However, more research is called for to correctly relate the condition to defined physiological conditions.Current research is being done on macular degeneration which could help prevent cases of micropsia. A variety of drugs that block vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) are being evaluated as a treatment option.
Micropsia often occurs as an aura signalling a seizure in patients with medial temporal lobe epilepsy. Most auras last for a very short period, ranging from a few seconds to a few minutes. Drug use
Micropsia can result from the action of mescaline and other hallucinogenic drugs. Although drug-induced changes in perception usually subside as the chemical leaves the body, long-term cocaine use can result in the chronic residual effect of micropsia. Micropsia can be a symptom of Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder, or HPPD, in which a person can experience hallucinogenic flashbacks long after ingesting a hallucinogen. A majority of these flashbacks are visual distortions which include micropsia, and 15-80% of hallucinogen users may experience these flashbacks. Micropsia can also be a rare side effect of zolpidem, a prescription medication used to temporarily treat insomnia. Psychological factors
Psychiatric patients may experience micropsia in an attempt to distance themselves from situations involving conflict. Micropsia may also be a symptom of psychological conditions in which patients visualize people as small objects as a way to control others in response to their insecurities and feelings of weakness. In some adults who experienced loneliness as children, micropsia may arise as a mirror of prior feelings of separation from people and objects. Epstein-Barr virus infection
Micropsia can be caused by swelling of the cornea due to infection by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and can therefore present as an initial symptom of EBV mononucleosis, a disease caused by Epstein-Barr virus infection. Retinal edema
Micropsia can result from retinal edema causing a dislocation of the receptor cells.