Mahjong epilepsy - a new syndrome

Aug 6 2007

According to doctors in Hong Kong the Chinese tile game of Mahjong can induce epilepsy.

The researchers reached this startling conclusion after examining a number of cases where people appeared to have suffered Mahjong-induced seizures.

The Chinese tile game seemingly triggered the epileptic seizures which has led the team of researchers from the Queen Mary Hospital to acknowledge it as a specific syndrome.

The researchers looked at 23 cases of people in Taiwan and Hong Kong who had suffered Mahjong-induced seizures and found the syndrome affects more men than women.

Most of the 23 patients had never suffered seizures other than when playing Mahjong and the seizures occurred as early as one hour into their games.

Apparently one patient stopped having seizures after quitting Mahjong but then relapsed after taking the game up again.

The researchers say the best prevention and cure is to completely avoid playing Mahjong.

A wide variety of triggers can provoke the onset of a seizure or cause a seizure in a patient whose epilepsy is under control; alcohol consumption, hormonal changes of the menstrual cycle, sleep deprivation, flickering or flashing light, and stress can trigger a seizure in a susceptible person.

Mahjong is played by four people around a table and demands the rapid movement of tiles; it often involves gambling and can be for some a compulsive obsession.

The game is social in the extreme and is often played in crowded Mahjong parlours for at times marathon sessions.

The doctors conclude that the syndrome affects far more men than women with an average age of 54; it can affect sufferers anywhere between 1 to 11 hours into a Mahjong game.

Mahjong is a demanding game which involves memory, rapid calculations, concentration, reasoning and sequencing and the researchers say even watching the game affects some people.

They believe the distinctive design of Mahjong tiles, and the sound of the tiles crashing onto the table, may contribute to the syndrome.

The research team say the phenomenon 'Mahjong epilepsy' is a specific condition and not the result of the stress or exhaustion associated with the game.

The research is published in the Hong Kong Medical Journal.