Inheritance of photosensitivity.
PURPOSE: To investigate the mode of inheritance of the photoparoxysmal response ( PPR) and to obtain more information about the influence of photosensitivity on the seizure risk in siblings of patients with epilepsy. METHODS: Examination of the records of families with one photosensitive parent (Group I, n = 54) and of families with a photosensitive proband, neither of whose parents was photosensitive (Group II, n = 72). RESULTS: At the age of maximum penetrance, between 5 and 15 years of age, 50% of the siblings in Group I were photosensitive, compared to only 15% in Group II. Siblings in Group I showed a higher seizure rate (19%) than siblings in Group II (4%, p < 0.005). The majority of photosensitive siblings had no seizures, but photosensitive siblings had a higher seizure risk than non-photosensitive siblings. The highest seizure risk was found in photosensitive siblings of Group I (33%) compared to 9% in non-photosensitive siblings (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our findings show that a PPR in parents is a major determinant for the risk of a PPR in offspring. The results may indicate an autosomal-dominant transmission with age-dependent penetrance of the PPR. Photosensitivity is an important factor in the pathogenesis of seizure disorders in childhood.[1]References
- Inheritance of photosensitivity. Waltz, S., Stephani, U. Neuropediatrics. (2000) [Pubmed]
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