Video game epilepsy in the twentieth century: a review

Abstract

Introduction Visually evoked seizures have been reported for almost 2,000 years. This source of seizure activity, however, seems to have increased recently with the advent of new technologies used for television and computer games. Methods The present paper reviews the literature regarding this interesting phenomenon. Results After our review, it does appear that visually evoked seizures have increased in frequency during the twentieth century. Conclusions We believe that knowledge of visually evoked seizures may aid neuroscientists in further exploration of the pathophysiology of seizure activity and its related preventive measures. Further studies are necessary to prove the etiology of such seizure activity.