Photosensitive epilepsy and photoconvulsive responses to photic stimulation in Africans.

Three hundred sixty-two epileptic patients were examined clinically and electroencephalographically to determine the proportion with photosensitive epilepsy or showing photoconvulsive responses to intermittent photic stimulation (IPS). Also, 102 nonepileptic patients had an EEG done to find out the proportion showing photoconvulsive responses to IPS. Ten epileptic patients (2.76%) had photosensitive epilepsy, and six patients (1.6%) showed photoconvulsive responses to IPS. The nonepileptic patients showed no photoconvulsive responses to IPS. The relative rarity of photosensitive epilepsy and the greater incidence of nonreaction to photic stimulation in black African epileptics and nonepileptics compared with Caucasians indicate that black Africans are less photosensitive than Caucasians.