A shrunken world - micropsia after a right occipito-parietal ischemic stroke

Neurocase. 2019 Oct;25(5):202-208. doi: 10.1080/13554794.2019.1656751. Epub 2019 Aug 28.

Abstract

Micropsia is a rare condition in which patients perceive the outside world smaller in size than it actually is. We examined a patient who, after a right occipito-parietal stroke, subjectively reported perceiving everything at seventy percent of the actual size. Using experimental tasks, we confirmed the extent of his micropsia at 70%. Visual half-field tests showed an impaired perception of shape, location and motion in the left visual field. As his micropsia concerns the complete visual field, we suggest that it is caused by a higher-order compensation process in order to reconcile the conflicting information from the two hemifields.

Keywords: Micropsia; metamorphopsia; neuropsychology; occipito-parietal infarction; visual perceptual impairment.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Brain Ischemia / complications
  • Brain Ischemia / psychology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Occipital Lobe / pathology*
  • Parietal Lobe / pathology*
  • Stroke / complications
  • Stroke / psychology*
  • Vision Disorders / etiology
  • Vision Disorders / psychology*
  • Visual Fields