Does Pokemon cause seizures?
On One Hand: Games and American Cartoons SafeThe “outbreak” of seizures in Japan following the airing of a 1997 episode of the popular cartoon was due to the special effects used in scenes triggering seizures in children due to rapidly flashing lights. The episode only aired once, and has not been in rotation since, and has never been aired outside of Japan. As these affects are not present in the games, none of the games have a higher risk for seizure than any other video game.On the Other: Seizures Occurred Throughout Japan150 children were hospitalized for seizures and other complaints, such as headaches and blurred vision, following the viewing of the episode. Although all recovered, the incident led to new guidelines about rapidly flashing lights have been established in Japan. Although no longer aired, the episode “Dennou Senshi Porygon (Electric Soldier Porygon)” can be found online and should not be viewed by anyone with light sensitivity issues. Research done in Italy has show
