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What causes AIWS?

Researchers believe that unusual electrical activity in the brain causes abnormal blood flow to the parts of the brain that process your environment and experience visual perception. This unusual electrical activity may be the result of several causes.

The underlying pathophysiology of this disease is unknown for the time being. As such, further research and studies are still needed in order to arrive at a definite conclusion.

Suffice to say, migraine is considered as the leading cause for AIWS in adults whilst an Epstein-Barr infection is considered the primary cause for AIWS in children.

Although experts are still uncertain about the etiology of AIWS , they do however know that there are a multitude of causal factors in connection with this disorder. The possible causes include, but aren’t limited to:

Migraines. One of the most common ways that AIWS happens is with a migraine aura. It can also happen with other types of headaches, such as cluster headaches and abdominal migraines.
Infections. Bacterial and viral infections are among the most common causes of AIWS. Some of the more likely infections to cause it include Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), type A or H1N1 influenza, varicella (the virus that causes chickenpox and shingles), typhoid fever, Lyme disease and scarlet fever. These are the most common cause of AIWS in children.
Seizures. People who have seizure-related conditions (especially epilepsy) can experience AIWS.
Certain types of strokes. Sudden loss of blood flow can disrupt areas of the brain that control self-perception and visual perception.
Mental health conditions. These include schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, depressive disorders, etc.
Medications. AIWS can be a side effect of many drugs. These include drugs found in common cough medicines like dextromethorphan or dihydrocodeine, asthma medications like montelukast, and anti-seizure medications like topiramate.
Recreational drugs and inhalants. These include hallucinogens like LSD and inhalants like toluene.
Brain tumors (including cancers).
Degenerative brain diseases. There are reports of AIWS happening with conditions like Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. However, this is extremely rare.