Last modified: 2018-09-27
Abstract
INTRODUCTION
Photosensitivity (photo paroxysmal response [PPR] to intermittent photic stimulation [IPS]) during an EEG, more common with certain epilepsy syndromes, in adolescence, girls and reported genetic basis.1,2 Our study aim is to look at the prevalence, clinical characteristics and long term outcome. Here we report our initial results of prevalence and clinical characteristics.
METHODS
All paediatric patients who had an EEG and IPS during the period of January 2017 – January 2018 in our neurosciences department were included. EEG and clinical data were collected. Prevalence of photosensitivity was calculated for this cohort, the relationship between photosensitivity with epilepsy and other clinical were variables analysed3.
RESULTS
A total of 374 children (M: F 52:48, Median age 8 years) were included in the analysis (Table 1), 4.3% had photosensitivity (M:F, 1:3; Median age 9 years). Amongst the patients who were diagnosed to have epilepsy, 9.9% were photosensitive (P<0.05). Those with epilepsy and photosensitivity (Table 2) had generalised epilepsies (100%; childhood absence epilepsy [45%]). The most common electroclinical phenomenon was with spontaneous seizures and no visually induced seizures (50%).
CONCLUSIONS
Our data is similar to some of the published work. We will increase the sample size and follow this cohort to look at long term outcome in terms of epilepsy as well as photosensitivity. We believe this information is beneficial for children who have photosensitivity and for clinicians for counselling families. We will also link this to the genetic investigation data to look at the genetic epilepsy and photosensitivity.