Photosensitivity and family history interrelationship in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (jme)

Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy (JME) is a young onset idiopathic epilepsy syndrome characterized by Myoclonic seizures, generalized tonic clonic seizures and absence seizures. JME is an inherited disorder but the mode of inheritance is still controversial. Photosensitivity is also a precipitating factor to initiate seizures in JME. Photosensitivity is influenced by inheritance, but relation is not yet clear and established. A total 55 patients with a diagnosis of JME were evaluated to know whether triggering of seizures were influenced by photosensitivity and positive family history. JME cases were diagnosed by experienced Epileptologists on the basis of patient's medical history and on Electro Encephalo Graphy (EEG). Selection of patients and diagnosis were based on the criteria of the commission and terminology of the international League Against Epilepsy (ILAE). Patients with other neurological trauma, mental retardation and epilepsy syndrome other than JME were excluded from this study. In our study 49.09% of JME patients were photosensitive. Among these male patients were 53.12%, which was more when compared to the female i.e. 43.43%. On the other hand 43.64% of patients have positive family history. The percentage of male and female patients reporting the positive family history is almost same i.e., 43.75% in case of males and 43.47% in females. The percentage of photosensitivity and positive family history were having a close relationship, indicating that photosensitivity is linked to inheritance. So we conclude that there is a strong relationship between photosensitivity and positive family history in JME patients thus substantiating the fact that photosensitivity is inherited.