"The researchers note that while the disorder is not very common,
affecting between 0.5 - 0.8% of children between the ages of 4 -
14, they suspect that photosensitive epilepsy ``is increasing as
a result of the proliferation of television display units and
video games, which may act as triggers.''
Tuesday February 22 5:26 PM ET
Abnormal brain response caused Pokemon-induced seizures
NEW YORK, Feb 22 (Reuters Health) -- Italian scientists have
figured out how an episode of the television cartoon Pokemon may
have caused epileptic seizures in 685 Japanese children in 1997.
The problem was caused by an abnormal brain response in these
children to flashing lights featured in the cartoon, signaling a
brain disorder known as photosensitive epilepsy. Dr. Vittorio
Porciatti of the Institute of Neurophysiology in Pisa and
colleagues say that a mechanism in the brain that controls the
reaction to visual information ``is defective or absent in''
people with photosensitive epilepsy.
It has been known for many years that strobe lights or flashing
lights may cause seizures in people with this type of epilepsy,
but it was unclear how the lights induced this response. In an
attempt to understand that process, Porciatti and colleagues
exposed eleven patients with photosensitive epilepsy to different
patterns of flashing lights and studied the brainwaves of these
patients in response to the lights.
Compared with people who did not have the disorder,
photosensitive epileptics had abnormal brain activity in response
to slow-flashing lights with high contrast. These are the type of
lights ``common in TV images and in video games, and may be
important in triggering the abnormal (brain) response underlying
visually induced epileptic seizures,'' the researchers write in
the March issue of Nature Neuroscience.
The researchers note that while the disorder is not very common,
affecting between 0.5 - 0.8% of children between the ages of 4 -
14, they suspect that photosensitive epilepsy ``is increasing as
a result of the proliferation of television display units and
video games, which may act as triggers.''
SOURCE: Nature Neuroscience 2000;3:259-263.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
=================================================================
Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, YHVH, TZEVAOT
FROM THE DESK OF: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
*Mike Spitzer* <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
~~~~~~~~ <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
The Best Way To Destroy Enemies Is To Change Them To Friends
Shalom, A Salaam Aleikum, and to all, A Good Day.
=================================================================
<A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A>
DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER
==========
CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic
screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are
sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis-
directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with
major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought.
That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and
always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no
credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply.
Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector.
========================================================================
Archives Available at:
http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html
<A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of
[EMAIL PROTECTED]</A>
http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/
<A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A>
========================================================================
To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Om
