Jeavons Syndrome: Risk factors, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Have you ever seen a child quickly rolling his/her eyeballs and jerking it upwards and sideways? Did you ever see these kids staring blankly? Well, if your answers are yes, then that kid is most likely suffering from Jeavons syndrome or Eyelid myoclonia with absences (EMA).
What is it? :
Jeavons syndrome or Eyelid myoclonia with absences (EMA), is a rare form of epilepsy that mostly occurs in children of 2 to 14 years and becomes their lifelong companion. Doctors misinterpret this with childhood absence seizures as the blank space staring effect of both are the same. The difference is that in EMA this effect lasts for 3 seconds while in the former it lasts for 15 seconds.
Who gets it?
The main predisposition factor is genetics. A child can inherit this if any one of his close blood relatives is affected by EMA. Children between 6-8 age groups are most affected. Other possible causes are not known.
Symptoms:
- Frequent eyelid and eyeball jerking movements during the day
- Photosensitivity
- Eye closure in the presence of continuous bright light
- A tendency to develop tonic-clonic seizures in adulthood
Precipitating factors:
- Flashing bright light and associated eye-closure
- Common in girls
- Television or video games exposures ( read how Virtual Games create an Impact on Mental Health)
Diagnosis:
The eyelid jerking of EMA frequently leads to its misinterpretation as facial tics or mannerisms of the child. An EEG done preferably during the seizures can detect the discharges related to eye-closure and photosensitivity. The other methods include:
- MRI scan
- Genetic testing
- Providing prior information about family history
Treatment :
- Anti-epileptic medications
- Ketogenic diet
- A lens that provides blue-violet light protection
EMA cannot be cured completely, but modifications of lifestyle and diet patterns subsidize its effects. In the case of EMA, fret not as seizures don’t mean the end of the world, so stay positive and be happy.
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