Home > Features > Ouch Q&A #18: Seizure triggers
Ouch Q&A #18: Seizure triggers
9th August 2007
Q: I was in my local Chinese takeaway the other day when this bloke just keeled over and had a seizure right there and then beside me. Made me have second thoughts about my crispy aromatic duck order, I can tell you. Do you reckon it was the duck's revenge or something?
A: More likely to be that he'd just been playing the Chinese tile game of Mahjong.
Q: Well, if that's the effects of playing, it sounds a bit dangerous to me. Is it like that Russian Roulette?
A: Not quite as dodgy as Russian Roulette, no. is played with a set of tiles or cards and the aim of the game is to build complete suits, usually of threes, from either 13 or 16 tiles. The first person to achieve this goal wins. However, a study published in the Hong Kong Medical Journal has concluded that the game can
Q: Crikey! How come?
A: Mahjong is a cognitively demanding game and the researchers reckon that the design of the tiles and the sound they make as they crash onto the table may contribute to "mahjong epilepsy".
Q: What about solitaire or dominos?
A: For those who have a diagnosis of epilepsy, late nights and lack of sleep, then stress, missing taking anti epileptic medication, flashing lights, hormones, certain medications and supplements (e.g. Evening Primrose oil) may trigger a seizure. Excess alcohol or binge drinking are also , even if you don't have epilepsy.
Q: But what actually causes epilepsy in the first place?
A: Brain damage due to a difficult birth, a blow to the head, a stroke or infection of the brain (e.g. meningitis or a brain tumour) can all bring it on. But for 6 out of 10 people there is no known cause - and now there's this Mahjong Epilepsy thing.
Q: Maybe I'd be better off playing Halo 3 on my computer instead of board games?
A: Well, yes, apart from if you already have epilepsy and then happened to see the online 2012 logo - a section of animated footage promoting the 2012 Olympics had to be removed from the organisers' website after several people reported after seeing it ...
Q: Is there anything that can be done to prevent these seizures from happening?
A: With the right anti-epilepsy medication, 70% of people with epilepsy have their condition under complete control. Some also get a "seizure dog".
Q: Oh no, don't go telling me that dogs get Mahjong epilepsy too?
A: No, seizure dogs can warn someone with epilepsy that they are about to have a seizure, so that they can sit themselves down and avoid danger.
Q: But could a dog play Mahjong, perhaps a guide dog maybe - I mean aren't they really clever?
A: No.
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