Research Paper first/rough draft

Tian Zhou

4th Period

Honors English II

03/04/2013

                        First Draft

    Seizures have many shapes and forms: absence, grand-mal, myoclonic, clonic, tonic, atonic, and status epilepticus. (Senelick) Seizures can occur to anybody at any age and at any time. Whether the individual has epilepsy does not factor in the odds of having a seizure. Millions of nerve cells in the brain, called neurons, transmit electrical impulses. Seizures occur when the neurons misfire. More than one type of seizure can happen at a time depending on where the electrical disturbance is occurring in the brain. (“Seizures”)

Seizures caused by certain visual stimulation is a condition called photosensitivity. Video games are being targeted for producing this type of seizure, some more than others. However, flashing lights and visual patterns like stripes or grids in video games should not be censored. Photosensitive epilepsy can be spotted early and treated with antiepileptic drugs. On top of that, video games only make up a small portion of seizures in photosensitive patients. Other triggers include natural sunlight, television, venetian blinds, theaters, dance clubs, rock concerts, and sleep deprivation. (Erba)

There are many easy methods to avoid having a seizure while playing video games. Dr. Giuseppe Erba, Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics at the University of Rochester Medical Center and former member of the Epilepsy Foundation’s professional advisory board, recommends “watching television in a well-lit room, reduce the brightness of the screen, keep as far back from the screen as possible, use small screens. Players should not play if they are tired, especially if they are sleep deprived. Avoid excessive use of alcoholic beverages. Take frequent breaks and look away from the screen every once in a while.” (Erba) One method Dr. Erba describes as most useful is monocular vision. Players should cover one eye and look away from the screen if they start feeling their bodies jerking. Closing both eyes does not safeguard players from photosensitivity “because the red-tinted light filtering through the eyelids will be just as provocative, if not more.” (Erba) With so many ways to easily prevent seizures from occurring while playing video games,  video games should not censor their materials that can be portrayed as visually stimulating. Photosensitive epilepsy can even be detected early on in childhood.

Photosensitivity is rare, about three in one hundred epilepsy patients have it. The number of patients are about 60% girls and 40% boys. It begins before the age of twenty, usually between seven and nineteen. (Harding) An electroencephalogram test, or EEG,  “records the electrical signals from your brain on an EEG machine. During the test, you will be asked to look at some flashing lights. If doing this changes the electrical signals in your brain, it may indicate that you have photosensitive epilepsy.” (Harding) This relates back to why video games are being targeted as the main cause of seizures in children and teens. They make up a big portion of the video game industry’s audience and they are more prone to having seizures because of their age. A simple EEG test can determine if the player needs to take special precautions when playing video games. Video games already include a warning about having seizures in their manual. Therefore, they should not have to censor their content. (Erba)

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