Citation

Ullrich NJ, Bergin AM, Goodkin HP. Epilepsy Behav. 2008; 12(3): 486-488.

Affiliation

Department of Neurology, Children’s Hospital Boston, Boston, MA, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.yebeh.2007.12.008

PMID

18218343

Abstract

Risk-taking behavior resulting in accidental injury is common in adolescence. Self-induced hypoxia as a means of self-stimulation, sometimes referred to as"the choking game,"has recently become more widely recognized, particularly with a series of well-publicized deaths in teenagers and with wider visibility on national news and Internet sites. We report a case of self-induced hypoxia via carotid compression and breath holding that presented as recurrent confusional episodes and seizurelike events. Video/EEG monitoring was a useful tool in elucidating the neurological effects of the"game,"which may result in prolonged neurological injury or life-threatening outcome.

Language: en