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SYMPTOMS | PATHOMECHANISMS | HISTORY

Symptoms

Transitory aura symptoms

Persistent aura symptoms

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Def. pers. aura

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Persistent aura and spirituality

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Psychological experience

Author: Klaus Podoll, Markus Dahlem, Sofia Greene	11. December 2007
Edited by: Klaus Podoll, Markus Dahlem, Sofia Greene

Nightmares

Definite persistent aura without infarction

"Ich hatte als kind auch immer schlimme Albträume, wenn ich vor dem Schlafen die Augen schloss, war es, als sehe man etwas auf sich zukommen, nach dem Einschlafen dann die Albträume...

Das war dann weg, bis ich 2002 richtig erkrankte, seitdem habe ich wieder heftige Angstträume."

(Mike aka schokodil [Subjekt #428], Forum Augenrauschen - Augenrauschen - Träume, 12.09.2007)

Mike's aka schokodil's nightmares of unspecified contents were preceded by stereotyped hypnagogic imagery of seeing something approaching towards him, reminiscent of a feature of the Isakower phenomenon where "The visual impression is that of something shadowy and indefinite, generally felt to be 'round', which comes nearer and nearer, swells to a gigantic size and threatens to crush the subject" (Isakower, 1938).

"I get about 6-8 hrs [sleep] a night. I think I sleep pretty well, but ever since the VS I have more nightmares, sweat in my sleep, and clench my jaw. So it's often a disturbed sleep, but if I don't get at least 6 hours my VS goes haywire and I'm likely to have a vertigo attack."

(Sarah A [subject #432], Yuku forum Visual snow or static - Discussion - My Neurologist Requested This Poll, May 5, 2008; additions in square brackets by Klaus Podoll)

"No, they [the nightmares] aren't related to the migraines, but I do feel like they are fueled by anxiety. One recurring dream I have involves all my teeth falling out in a gruesome and bloody way and me trying to hold them in. I've read on-line that this is a common nightmare amongst people who feel they are out of control. Perhaps it also has something to do with the fact that I now clench my jaw tightly when I sleep, causing tooth pain. I also frequently dream that I can't find my glasses and am in a very urgent situation that requires sight. This has been a recurring dream since my childhood. I usually wake up sweating at some point in the night -- something I never used to do."

(Sarah A [subject #432], Yuku forum Visual snow or static - Discussion - question to Sarah A, May 6, 2008; additions in square brackets by Klaus Podoll)

Probable persistent aura without infarction

"You asked me did I ever dream of my aura, I said no! Well you say this Alice in Wonderland syndrome (AIWS) is an aura? Since the age of around 5 years old I would often wake with this AIWS, after a re-occurring nightmare of a cartoon elephant crushing me into the floor and the elephant would envelop me like it was made of marshmallow, suffocating me. Then I would wake up with the feeling of my world slowing down, and my body feeling as I was moving very fast, sensations lasting around 20-30 minutes. I would feel a lot of anxiety and would fear that it would start again if I thought about it. I was frightened to go back to sleep. I also felt that I couldn't wake form this upon waking."

(Jenny [subject #482], Email to Klaus Podoll, December 5, 2007)

Both recurring nightmares (Lippman, 1954) and symptoms of AIWS (Todd, 1955) have been described as migraine aura symptoms, so that there is no doubt that her recurring experiences of a nightmare terminating in awakening with an AIWS symptom lasting some 20-30 minutes (the typical duration of a migraine aura) represent recurring attacks of a migraine aura without migraine ("silent migraine") from which she suffered since the age of ca. 5.

References

Isakower O. Beitrag zur Pathopsychologie der Einschlafphänomene.
Isakower O. A contribution to the psychopathology of phenomena associated with falling asleep. International Journal of Psycho-Analysis 1938; 19: 331-345.
Lippman CW. Recurrent dreams in migraine: an aid to diagnosis. J Nerv Ment Dis 1954; 120: 273-276.
Todd J. The syndrome of Alice in Wonderland. Can Med Assoc J 1955; 73: 701-704.

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Pre-publication research on migraine with aura

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