Racial factors and epileptic seizure disorders

Abstract

The role of racial factors in epileptic seizure disorders has been largely neglected in the past. This study indicates a highly significant preponderance of whites over blacks in infantile spasms (West syndrome) and consistent (although not statistically significant) preponderance of whites in other epileptic syndromes such as Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, primary generalized epilepsy, and benign rolandic epilepsy. On the other hand, racial differences were not found in patients with temporal and frontal lobe epilepsy. Other work has indicated that blacks are less photosensitive than whites; a special type of photosensitivity could be present in mongoloid persons. Socioeconomic factors cannot explain the racial differences. The neurobiochemical basis is unclear; investigations on pro-opiomelanocortin may be promising in this regard.