Information on Photosensitive Epilepsy

Photosensitive seizure symptoms

Because of their exposure to television and video games, children and adolescents with generalized epilepsy are more likely to show photosensitive epilepsy symptoms than adults.  Oddly, although girls are more often affected by photosensitivity, seizures are more frequent in boys because of their tendency to play video games.

Parents need to be aware of the risks of excessive television viewing and use of video games, and watch for signs that their children may be showing symptoms of photosensitive seizure.

Photosensitive seizure symptoms

Only a doctor can determine if a patient has epilepsy or another form of photosensitive seizure disorder.  The doctor will use a number of diagnostic tools like an electroencephalograph (EEG) to help with the diagnosis, but will also need a thorough medical history combined with all information you can provide about what happened before the seizure began and your child’s health at the time of the incident.  You also need to describe symptoms of what the seizure looked like, such as these:

• Blank staring
• Rapid blinking or facial twitches
• Jerking movements of the hands or other parts of the body
• Loss of attention or even an inability to talk or respond
• Signs of confusion
• Reports of unusual or different-than-usual sights, sounds, or smells
• Complaints of seemingly minor symptoms, such as a headache, dizziness, or nausea?

Of course, these are just examples of types of video game seizures, and they do not necessarily point to epilepsy.  You need to watch for anything out of the ordinary in your child’s focus and motions.

Keep in mind that television and video games are not the cause of photosensitive epilepsy cases.  Rather, they can trigger seizures in epilepsy patients.

For more information on photosensitive epilepsy

The Epilepsy Foundation website contains a great deal of information about all forms of epilepsy and seizure disorders, including the article, “Shedding Light on Photosensitivity, One of Epilepsy’s Most Complex Conditions.”