What is a Photosensitive Seizure?

Photosensitive epilepsy: such as seizures caused by visual stimuli such as strong light source stimuli and flash stimuli.

Photosensitive epilepsy

Photosensitive epilepsy [concept]

Photosensitive epilepsy: such as seizures caused by visual stimuli such as strong light source stimuli and flash stimuli.

In clinical EEG examination, this principle is used to stimulate the examinee in order to induce seizures, thereby providing a basis for clinical diagnosis.

At the end of 1997, more than 700 children in Japan were sent to the hospital for seizures at the same time, and the cause of this collective illness turned out to be a flashing picture at the end of the cartoon "Pocket Monster" broadcast on TV. The intermittent sunlight passing through the leaves, the strong light from the railroad fence, the sparkling light on the lake, the neon lights changing at night ... these all cause the epilepsy in some people.

On the occasion of "Epilepsy Care Day", Professor Qin Jiong of Peking University First Hospital reminded the community to pay attention to children's photosensitive epilepsy. Visual stimulus-induced seizures are the most common reflex epilepsy. All people, especially children and adolescents, are facing more and more visual stimuli, and the number of cases of photosensitive epilepsy is increasing.

The authoritative research on the incidence of photosensitive epilepsy still lacks a large sample. Data from a 1995 study showed that the incidence of photosensitive epilepsy was 2%, of which 10% were aged 7-19. Photosensitive epilepsy refers to the occurrence of cerebral nerve spasm in patients induced by flashes, and epilepsy occurs during or after the flashes are stopped. It is understood that a variety of epilepsy syndromes are related to light sensitivity: more and more electronic screens and colorful pictures are increasing the visual stimulation of children and adolescents, which has increased the incidence of some epilepsy patients.

Photosensitive epilepsy [Preventive measures]

Patients with high-sensitivity epilepsy and high-risk groups should try to avoid the visual stimuli in life, including televisions, game consoles, and computer screens. Once discomfort with certain visual stimuli, you should close your eyes or cover one eye, choose to wear dark blue or dark green glasses to avoid tension and fatigue and lack of sleep. Watch TV at a viewing distance of at least 3 meters, and the line of sight is parallel to the TV , You can put a small lamp on the TV to buffer the TV light source, close or block one eye when changing channels, try to use the TV remote control to reduce the opportunity to approach the TV.

Photosensitive epilepsy [Treatment]

Many drugs are effective for photosensitive epilepsy. Experts suggest that valproic acid, which has a long time to market and high safety, is the first choice, followed by lamotrigine, a new drug, and topiramate, ethosunamide, or clozabine. Professor Qin Jiong pointed out that the prognosis of most cases of epilepsy is good, but do not stop medicine prematurely, especially for patients under 20 years old, they should be prescribed according to the course of treatment to avoid recurrence.