From the BBC:
A study by doctors in Hong Kong has concluded that epilepsy can be induced by the Chinese tile game of mahjong.Why sort of conditions could other games cause? Ingrown toenail from Monopoly? Alzheimer's from Trivial Pursuit?
The findings, published in the Hong Kong Medical Journal, were based on 23 cases of people who had suffered mahjong-induced seizures.
The report's four authors, from Hong Kong's Queen Mary Hospital, said the best prevention - and cure - was to avoid playing mahjong.
The study led the doctors to define mahjong epilepsy as a unique syndrome.
3 comments:
Amazing
Epilepsy Causes
Healthy people may have seizures under certain circumstances. If the seizures have a known cause, the condition is referred to as secondary or symptomatic epilepsy. Some of the more common causes include the following:
* Tumor
* Chemical imbalance such as low blood sugar or sodium
* Head injuries
* Certain toxic chemicals or drugs of abuse
* Alcohol withdrawal
* Stroke including hemorrhage
* Birth injuries
I have seen the Mahjong parlours/sweat shops in Hong Kong and I agree about the trauma etc of the way they play. The noise of the tiles on the "tin" tables reaches out into the street. I used to play with Chinese friends in London and the pressure to move fast is very strong.
The trick is to discard very quickly hoping some one who wants the discarded tile will miss it or blink as you chuck it out and miss the placement.
But Epilepsy - I posted a list of causes from a google and wonder which of those fit. Perhaps chemical imbalance through sitting too long in smoky noisy place.
What is the evidence that these events are epilepsy?
The concentrqation, location, and crowded conditions may cause another little known problem. It appears as Qi Gong psychotic reaction, ICU Psychosis, and in mental events that happen after attending a Landmark Education seminar, Subliminal Distraction exposure.
Post a Comment