# Cerebellar Cognitive Affective Syndrome



## Billy D.P. (Apr 12, 2016)

In doing some reading today I stumbled across a disorder called Cerebellar Cognitive Affective Syndrome (CCAS), aka Schmahmann's Syndrome, which has some similarities to Depersonalization-Derealization. Here are a few links about the disorder:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebellar_cognitive_affective_syndrome

https://cerebellumandataxias.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40673-015-0023-1

The four main categories of symptoms are executive functioning (planning, organizing, shifting from one task to another, verbal fluency and working visual memory), spacial cognition (impaired visual-spacial memory and recognition), personality changes (flattening or blunting of affect and inappropriate behavior) and linguistic impairments (trouble with speech inflections, word organization, vocal tone, etc.).

Personally, I identify with quite a few of these, especially set shifting (switching from one task fluidly to the next), visual memory, spacial recognition, personality changes and problems with speech. Even symptoms I don't necessarily struggle with I still relate to, like desiring to be inappropriate and acting childish from time to time, which only came about when I got DP.

Guess I just thought this was interesting. I'm sure there are plenty here who can relate, and perhaps some who may even have this condition more than DP. Either way, there's quite a few similarities and reading about this condition made me wonder if perhaps the cerebellum holds the answer to understanding DP.


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## MichaelTheAnhedonic (Aug 31, 2016)

My cerebellum is damaged. MRI showed atrophy on the left side of cerebellum.


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## Billy D.P. (Apr 12, 2016)

MichaelTheAnhedonic said:


> My cerebellum is damaged. MRI showed atrophy on the left side of cerebellum.


My neurologist recommended an MRI recently but I haven't gotten it because people said nothing will show up. But I'm starting to reconsider after this. If I have some sort of damage in my cerebellum then maybe there's something there. It's worth noting in the first major Visual Snow Syndrome study from a few years back the difference between the VSS group and the control group was hypermetabolism in the cerebellum and lingual gyrus. Hypermetabolism is often the result of injury and VSS symptoms include depersonalization. Given the similarities in symptoms between all the above mentioned disorders I'm wondering if maybe there's a connection. It's also worth noting the cerebellum accounts for something like 50 percent of the brains neurons and is one of the few regions shown to regenerate when damaged, which could account for why people with DP improve.


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## brill (Apr 17, 2016)

Billy D.P. said:


> My neurologist recommended an MRI recently but I haven't gotten it because people said nothing will show up.


beware of people who make 'guesses' about your health.


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## Billy D.P. (Apr 12, 2016)

NZRecovery said:


> will damage be seen if it happened awhile ago?


I don't know. Everyone's case is different but if lesions caused by trauma will stay around for a while. Not sure if that applies to DP though. If you're seriously concerned you should probably see a doctor.


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## Billy D.P. (Apr 12, 2016)

NZRecovery said:


> Mind you my initial way in which dr/dp started for me was Drug induced a long time ago but it was far better in the regard still had intellect and emotive spectrum. so damn confusing .


If you don't mind me asking, where in NZ are you? I can't imagine too many doctors are even familiar with DP down there. I guess if you're near Auckland or Wellington you can at least see some sort of cognitive specialists. Maybe a trip to Sydney might be worth it...


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