A case-report from the Dept of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, concerns a young adult with myoclonic epilepsy since 15 yrs of age whose attacks were precipitated while playing with the Rubik’s cube, a three-dimensional colored puzzle. The EEG at rest and with photic stimulation was normal; playing the cube produced generalized 3Hz S/W accompanied by myoclonic jerks and mental blocking. Arithmetic, draughts (checkers), card games, and reading precipitated EEG epileptiform discharges but not jerks. Diazepam prevented the seizures, but made him drowsy. The patient preferred to disengage his mind from the puzzle when he felt a jerk. [1]
COMMENT. Having played the Rubik’s Cube and Rubik’s Magic unsuccessfully myself and given up in despair, I can imagine that frustration could be a factor responsible for the patient’s seizures as much as “spatial and decision making processes“. The same author has described seizures evoked by card games, draughts, and a local game with sea shells called “punchi“ [2]. Ch’en, Chi’in, and Ch’u were the first to describe Chess and Card epilepsy!. [3]