TUESDAY, March 6, 2007 (HealthDay News) -- In some people with epilepsy, brushing their teeth may stimulate a certain area of the brain and cause seizures, Australian researchers report.
"The rhythmic act of brushing teeth may excite an already overly excitable area of the brain. This is similar to photosensitive epilepsy, which involves seizures triggered by flashing lights and moving patterns," study author Wendyl D'Souza, with the department of neurology and neurological research at St. Vincent's Hospital, University of Melbourne, said in a prepared statement.
They studied three adults with epilepsy who had seizures while they brushed their teeth. The researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine the brains of the three patients and found that they all had lesions in the somatosenory area of the brain, which is near the hand and speech motor areas.
"Since tooth-brushing involves persistent rhythmic action, this may explain why this trigger is more likely to induce seizures in the somatosenosry area of the brain compared to other oral stimuli, such as eating," D'Souza said.
The study appears in the March 6 issue of the journal Neurology.
More information
The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about epilepsy.
