Some patients airlifted from health emergencies mysteriously lapse into seizures, without a history of epilepsy. The problem could be "flicker illness," caused by bright sunlight shining through rotating helicopter blades.
The case report details an account of a patient who suffered a severe foot injury and required an airlift from a remote geographic location to a hospital in Baltimore, where Cushman worked at the time. Flight paramedics noted flickering bursts of sunlight cast across the patient’s face, to which the patient’s eyes soon began blinking, and then his facial muscles began jerking in coordinated rhythm. The patient, stable and displaying strong vital signs, immediately fell into a seizure, despite paramedics’ attempts to block the flashes from the patient’s face.
It can also be caused by sunlight filtering through a row of trees while traveling in a car, or by flashing lights on television or in video games (known as space invader epilepsy).
History, according to the Case report author, suggests flicker illness could be caused by even more seemingly benign events:
… the Roman novelist and orator Apuleius, noted that the spinning of a potter’s wheel could send onlookers into seizures. Cushman also describes an array of other non-whirling stimuli that have been documented over time to induce seizures, including music, hot water, working with fractions, and even tooth brushing.
Sunny days post risk of 'flicker illness' for a few airlifted patients [press release]
