Stroboscopic light effects during electronic dance music festivals and photosensitive epilepsy: a cohort study and case report.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Electronic dance music (EDM) concerts are becoming increasingly popular. Strong stroboscopic light effects are commonly part of these shows, and may provoke seizures in individuals with photosensitive epilepsy. This study aims to examine the risk of epileptic seizures during EDM concerts.

Setting

28 EDM concerts taking place in The Netherlands.

Participants

We describe a young man who experienced a seizure during an EDM concert, and who later showed a positive electroencephalographic provocation test during exposure to video footage of the same concert. Subsequently, we performed a cohort study of 400 343 visitors to EDM concerts, divided in those exposed (concert occurring in darkness) versus unexposed (concert in daylight) to stroboscopic light effects.

SUBMITTER: Salet N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6585837 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature