Citation

Badinand-Hubert N, Bureau M, Hirsch E, Masnou P, Nahum L, Parain D, Naquet R. Electroencephalogr. Clin. Neurophysiol. 1998; 107(6): 422-427.

Affiliation

Hospital Debrousse, Lyon, France.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1998, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

9922088

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to research whether or not video games may induce paroxysmal discharges (PD) in different groups of patients. METHODS: One hundred and fifteen subjects from 5 different French laboratories were studied: 33 had seizures exclusively under visual stimuli, 42 had both photogenic seizures and spontaneous seizures occuring independently, and 40 had non-photogenic seizures. The same protocol which included one TV sequence, 3 sequences of video games selected on particular criteria (pattern, luminosity and nature of the scene), were presented at different distances from the TV screen at 50 and 100 Hz. RESULTS: Among the factors provoking paroxysmal discharges (PD) some seem crucial: the frequency of the TV screen (the 100 Hz screen was significantly safer than 50 Hz), the distance from the screen (1 m safer than 50 cm), and, particularly for the 50 Hz screen, the specific pattern of the images and the act of playing. CONCLUSIONS: Video games are ineffective for subjects known as having a non-photosensitive epilepsy, but may induce PD on subjects known as photosensitive even when intermittent light stimulation (ILS) is not effective. These results based on a different approach than in other publications confirm data which were suggested by the literature, and suggest that 100 Hz TV screens should be recommended to patients with TV-induced attacks.

Language: en