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Reports in newspapers and on television have heightened public awareness that playing video games can, in rare cases, trigger seizures, but there is no scientific evidence that video games can cause epilepsy. Playing video games is an extremely common pastime for many children, and they often play them for long periods of time. Because epilepsy is a common disorder, it is not surprising that some children will have their seizures while playing video games, just by coincidence. How often this happens, and to what extent the games trigger the seizures, if at all, is not known.
Stress, fatigue, or hyperventilation may trigger seizures during video games in some children who have epilepsy.
Some other children are photosensitive. For them, flashing lights, flickering images, or certain color sequences can trigger seizures or create patterns on the electroencephalogram (EEG) that are typical of epilepsy. These children may have seizures directly associated with playing video games. Photosensitivity occurs in only about 3% of people with epilepsy, however, so almost all children who have epilepsy should be able to play video games without ill effects. Restricting a child from playing video games simply because he or she has epilepsy is not justified.
Parents who are unsure whether a child who has epilepsy is photosensitive should check with the doctor. This can usually be determined from their EEG test. Photosensitive children may be able to play some games quite safely but have problems with others. Medication or blue polarized sunglasses can often prevent seizures caused by photosensitivity.
For parents who are concerned about the possible risk of seizures, it may be helpful to observe the child during the game and watch for signs of possible seizures:
The presence of one or more of these signs does not necessarily mean that a child has epilepsy or is photosensitive, but it would be a good idea to tell the doctor.
The following suggestions, adapted from ways of reducing the risk of seizures in photosensitive children while they watch television, may be helpful with regard to video games:
Topic Editor:James W. Wheless, M.D.
Last Reviewed:10/5/06
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Children with epilepsy have a higher rate of learning disorders than the general public. However, most children with epilepsy don't have learning problems.
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