Influence of television on photosensitive epileptics.
We examined 32 epileptics (20 female; 12 male; aged 6-73 years) who had displayed photoconvulsive reactions to flickering light in the EEG; they were examined with regard to their risks of getting epileptic seizures upon watching television (TV) under certain conditions. On a colour TV set each patient was shown a 3-min videofilm with slow- and fast-moving parts under 16 different conditions. The conditions had the following variables: (1) colour - monochrome; (2) dark room - light room, and (3) four different distances from the screen. In addition, each patient was subjected for 3 min to manipulated image interferences, including the vertical rolling of the picture. The results of this TV stimulation were always negative, i.e. in no patient did TV provoke a reproducible paroxysmal discharge in the EEG, nor was there any epileptic seizure. Our findings are discussed in connection with the corresponding literature.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000209:etiology; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000209:etiology*; D004832:Epilepsy, Absence / Q000209:etiology; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D013690:Television