Yahoo carried an article on a medical study that documented three people in Australia who trigger their epileptic seizures through the repetitive motion of brushing their teeth, which illustrates that the condition is more complex and varied than most people think. Most people are familiar with the concept of seizures being triggered by flashing lights; in much the same way, damage to the motor control area of the brain in these people can trigger a seizure if the right motor conditions are reproduced. (For the record, I have neither the photo-sensitive form nor any other obvious triggers; mine are random.) All in all, it's an interesting report.

What annoyed me about Yahoo's coverage of it, however, was the blatant "Can brushing your teeth cause epileptic seizures?" title on their front page. All that was missing was the ominous music and the "Tune in at 7 to find out!" lead out to make it fit right in with all the scare-tactic local news shows (you know the ones; "Are your medicines contaminated with nuclear waste? Tune in at 7 to see our action team investigate!" or "Are your kids at risk to be abducted by the state governor? We looked into the threat, tonight at 7!"). No, brushing your teeth *can't* cause seizures (the repetitive motion can *if* you're prone to it, which isn't the same), and raising fears about oral hygiene is just bad for all of us. Really.

Labels: epilepsy