Reading epilepsy with absences, television-induced seizures, and pattern sensitivity.
A 14-year-old right-handed girl suffering from absence seizures from age 6 began to have reflex seizures elicited by reading and watching television when she was 13. Neurophysiological studies showed pattern sensitivity and photo-sensitivity. VEPs, obtained with flash and pattern reversal stimulation, were normal. This atypical form of reading epilepsy suggests an interaction of pattern vision and cognitive functions as precipitating stimuli in reflex seizures.