Autoscopic Syndrome: Definition, History, and Further Reading
Autoscopic Syndrome (AS) is a rare disorder characterized by a sense of awareness of one’s own body from outside of their physical body. Autoscopic Syndrome is defined as an altered state of consciousness in which an individual perceives their own body or parts of their body from an external point of view. This phenomenon is most frequently reported as a feeling of detachment from the body, although it is not to be confused with out-of-body experiences or dissociative states.
AS was first described in the medical literature by French neurologist Jean Marie Charcot in 1891. Charcot reported his observations of a patient who believed he was seeing a second body image of himself beside his own body. Since then, a number of different cases of AS have been described. Autoscopic Syndrome is a rare disorder with an estimated prevalence of approximately 0.0002%.
AS has been associated with a variety of medical conditions, including stroke, migraine, and epilepsy. It is suggested that AS may be an epileptic phenomenon, as some cases have been observed in patients with focal epilepsy. Other potential causes include psychological and neurological disorders, such as schizophrenia and major depression.
Few studies have been conducted on Autoscopic Syndrome, and much more research is needed to better understand this disorder. Further reading on Autoscopic Syndrome is available in the scientific literature. Here are a few examples of relevant research for further reading:
Dickson, J., & O’Neill, B. (2020). Autoscopic Syndrome: A Review of Clinical Features and Neurobiology. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 16, 923-931. doi:10.2147/NDT.S249939
Goncalves, F. M., & Leite, M. C. (2020). Autoscopic Syndrome: A Case Report. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11, 844. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00844
Krauss, J. K., & Bhatia, M. S. (2015). Autoscopic Syndrome: A Mini Review. Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports, 15(2), 513. doi:10.1007/s11910-015-0513-0
Von Arx, S., & Bassetti, C. L. (2009). Autoscopic Phenomenon: A Vivid Visual Hallucination. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 13(4), 289-295. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2009.01.003
Overall, Autoscopic Syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by a sense of awareness of one’s own body from outside of their physical body. While more research is needed to better understand this disorder, the scientific literature provides numerous references for further reading.