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Video game related seizures?

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  • Video game related seizures?



    One example;

    Doctor Bans Boy From Playstation To Stop Head Twitching

    POSTED: 1:40 pm EST January 13, 2006
    UPDATED: 3:11 pm EST January 13, 2006

    A 9-year-old boy in California who suffered from uncontrollable head jerking movements after long hours of video game playing stopped the twitching after his doctor banned him from playing PlayStation, according to a report.

    Nicholas Lavin said that he played PlayStation constantly over the holidays at his home in San Diego and began to notice that his head would jerk back and forth.

    "I would do funny things with my head," Nicholas said.

    Lavin's mother said her son began to twitch so badly that she took him to the family's pediatrician.

    The doctor told her he was not allowed to play PlayStation anymore. Once he stopped playing PlayStation, the twitching stopped, according to the report.

    Video gaming news

    "All the head jerking is gone and his eyes are completely back to normal," Barbara Lavin said. "I think it's a direct connection to the PlayStation and the amount of time he spent on it."

    The San Diego Epilepsy Foundation said some video stimulation at certain frequencies can cause epileptic-type seizures or body jerks.

    Doctors said to set time limits for games, keep lights on in the room so it's bright, and make sure children stay at least two feet way from the screen.

    An MRI ruled anything else out, so for at least the next month, Nicholas will not play PlayStation, according to the report.
    Dr. Mordrid
    Last edited by Dr Mordrid; 14 January 2006, 02:43.
    Dr. Mordrid
    ----------------------------
    An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

    I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

  • #2
    Photo-sensitve epilepsy is well recognised, and I have seen people that can't watch a 60Hz screen without it lowering their seizure threshold. Most people that have a photosensitive component to their seizures have generalised tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizures rather than myoclonic jerks that are described above.

    I do find it odd that someone could be 'sensitive' to game playing and not when simply watching the TV as the refresh rate is going to be the same or faster. I guess this implies that there is a certain combination of colour and frequency of flashes in that particular game which will predispose an already sensitve person to have a seizure.

    In summary, (shrugs shoulders) so what. We know that some people can have fits when exposed to certain stressors including flashing lights. I presume that these people will have an underlying and potentialy undiagnosed disorder, rather than 'the TV gave my son epilepsy'.

    Intersting link Doc.
    A quick google on the subject found these for those that are interested.

    The Welsh support two teams when it comes to rugby. Wales of course, and anyone else playing England

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    • #3
      Well, Sony does warn about this (flashing lights) on all their games.
      (and BTW, a neurologist I know once told me a stroy about one epyleptic (her patient) that wall totally "imuune" to medications - getting rid of all unnecessary electrical equipment in home (mostly TVs) apparently helped big time)

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