Photosensitivity (neurology)
| Classification according to ICD-10 | |
|---|---|
| G40.8 | Other epilepsies
Epilepsies and epileptic syndromes, indeterminate whether focal or generalized |
| ICD-10 online (WHO version 2019) | |
Under photosensitivity , and photosensitivity , is meant in the neurology special responsiveness of the brain to regularly changing light-dark contrasts, for example. B. when watching TV, playing video games, flickering lights in the disco, light-shadow changes when driving through an avenue, etc., to react with an increasingly synchronized discharge of nerve cell associations up to epileptic seizures .
frequency
Due to developmental reasons, photosensitivity occurs particularly frequently during puberty and, depending on the investigators, occurs in 7.5–10% of all healthy children. Girls are affected about twice as often as boys. However, epileptic seizures occur in the age group of 8–20 years only with a frequency of 5–6 / 100,000.
therapy
By avoiding the triggers, the occurrence of epileptic seizures can be prevented in most cases. The room should not be darkened when watching TV. The use of 100 Hz screens or flicker-free liquid crystal displays can also significantly reduce the risk of triggering seizures. When outdoors, wearing sunglasses with polarized lenses can reduce exposure.
If drug treatment is necessary, valproic acid is the first choice. Ethosuximide and benzodiazepines are second choice substances.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Hartmut Siemes, Blaise FD Bourgeois: Seizures and epilepsies in children and adolescents. Thieme, Stuttgart-New York 2001, ISBN 3-13-127031-4
