[Influence of alcohol on photomyoclomus and photoconvulsive response (author's transl)]

In some subjects with increased light sensitivity to intermittent photic stimulation it could be observed: (1) a photomyoclonic response (PMR)--(in the EEG: muscular and ocular artefacts and probably spikes) including twitching of the facial, and sometimes muscles (Fig. 1 and 2) a photoconvulsive response (PKR), which deals in EEG with paroxismal cerebral potentials (Fig. 2). 20 min after consumation of small doses of alcohol (60 ml brandy) the PMR persists, while the photomyoclunus response gets extinguished (Fig. 3). In special terms there can be a development of epileptic seizures without alcohol (Fig. 4a-b), which fail to appear after alcohol up to 3 hours. This effect is demonstrated in six cases (Tab. 1). A partial anticonvulsive effect of alcohol is possible to be involved, especially in cases of fits with motoric actions (myoclunisms). The cilical valence of PMR and PKR seems to be the same, as a conductive factor to the liability to cerebral fits.