Determining what kind of seizure that someone has had. Determining if this seizure or seizures are a part of a specific epilepsy syndrome or disease. Treatment
The treatment of reflex epilepsy generally involves decreasing exposure to a persons triggers as well as anti-epileptic medications. Specific treatment depends both on the person as well on the kind of reflex triggers. For example, in photosensitive epilepsy, some people may rely only on managing exposure to their triggers, while others, may benefit greatly from anti-epileptic drugs. In addition, different anti-epileptic medications may be used in order to treat a given persons reflex epilepsy depending on the kind of seizures that they experience. Photosensitive epilepsy
Photosensitive reflex epilepsy is usually treated with both lifestyle changes and anti-epileptic medications. Some lifestyle modifications that may be recommended are limiting the amount of time one is exposed to television or screens, watching television in a bright well-lit room at a distance of at least 2 meters, and avoiding television or video games when tired. LCD TV screens or Televisions with higher refresh rates (100 Hz) cause less flickering and thus lower the likelihood of a seizure. In addition, special blue lens Z1 glasses have been shown to reduce seizures in many people with photosensitive reflex epilepsy.If the above lifestyle modifications do not manage the condition, anti-epileptic medications may also be used. Valproate is usually the first line medication of choice in people with photosensitive reflex epilepsy with many people becoming seizure free.
Reflex seizures are epileptic seizures that are consistently induced by a specific stimulus or trigger making them distinct from other epileptic seizures, which are usually unprovoked. Reflex seizures are otherwise similar to unprovoked seizures and may be focal (simple or complex), generalized, myoclonic, or absence seizures. Epilepsy syndromes characterized by repeated reflex seizures are known as reflex epilepsies. Photosensitive seizures are often myoclonic, absence, or focal seizures in the occipital lobe, while musicogenic seizures are associated with focal seizures in the temporal lobe.Triggers may include various stimuli with the most common (75 to 80%) being flickering lights resulting in photosensitive seizures. Reflex epilepsies are generally thought to be genetic in origin. The inheritance pattern is dependent on the type of reflex epilepsy with some types lacking a specific genetic inheritance patterns. For example, photogenic epilepsy is thought to follow an autosomal dominant pattern with incomplete penetrance, while seizures triggered by proprioceptive stimuli do not follow an observable inheritance pattern. The underlying mechanism involves the stimulation of existing network of neurons by the specific trigger.The treatment of reflex epilepsy generally involves decreasing exposure to a persons triggers as well as anti-epileptic medications. Reflex epilepsy is relatively rare, making up approximately 5% of epilepsy syndromes. Signs and symptoms
Reflex seizures can be either generalized or focal seizures or both. However, for any given stimulus there may be a large variation in the kind of elicited seizure.