Video‐Game Epilepsy: A European Study

With the introduction of Nintendo video‐games on a large scale, reports of children having seizures while playing suggested a possible specific, provocative factor. Although 50% of the photosensitive patients are also sensitive to a 50‐Hz television, nonphotosensitive patients with a history of videogame seizures were described as well. The question arises whether this is a mere coincidence, provoked by fatigue and stress, is related to the reaction to the television screen itself, or depends on the movement and color of the pictures of this specific game. A European study was performed in four countries and five sites. All patients were selected because of a history of television, video‐ or computer‐game seizures, with a history of sunlight‐, discotheque‐, or black and white pattern‐evoked seizures, or were already known to be sensitive to intermittent photic stimulation. A total of 387 patients were investigated; 220 (75%) were female and 214 (55%) of those were