Guest Robin O Posted February 1, 2004 Report Share Posted February 1, 2004 Do you guys notice the increased ticcing more with computer and Playstation games or the TV. My son just got a Gameboy hand held game for his birthday and I noticed right away an increase in ticcing. His ticcing startes withing minutes of him playing the game. I have been watching him during TV and computer time and this does not happen. Sometimes when playing his Playstation games he will tic a little but the Gameboy really bothers him. Claire, what is the difference in the hand held games and the TV. His tics did increase Friday night after I let him have a milkshake. He has not had milk in a LONG TIME and begged for a milk shake. I put the Gameboy away for a few days until the tics from the milk carm back down. Thanks for your thoughts!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jean Posted February 1, 2004 Report Share Posted February 1, 2004 My observation for my son: games including Game boys, Xbox (similar as playstation) and computer games usually tiggers his tics right away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claire Posted February 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2004 Hi Robin, The Gameboys have warnings also--though of course the only warning for any games are for photosensitive epilepsy. In our case, the exact same trigger applies as with the photosensitive epilepsy, so those are how I guide my son's play. Theoretically, you would think the smaller screen of the Gameboy would be better. But maybe it is because it is closer to them than the TV? I know that how much of the visual field it takes up is a major factor Again, with my son, TV/Computer Game exposure 'sensitizes' him in some way past when the game is played--like food eliminations, it can take up to 7 days for him to get back to normal. So I would watch this closely--it may or may not be true for your son. I can see how some other trigger (milk) would make him more sensitive in general to triggers such as a Gameboy, so I hope that when you reintroduce the Gameboy it doesn't cause problems for him. One more thing to keep in mind--just as with allergies, for our son, sometimes it took a few days of playing before even reaction built up for us to see it visibly via tics. So I introduced computer play or TV everyother day for less time until we determined exactly what he could tolerate. Oddly, as he is older, his tolerance is lower and he reacts sooner--he basically has almost zero tolerance for CRT monitors now--so eventually we cut it out and went entirely to LCD. However, age 10 is supposed to be a peak year or something for tics, so maybe this is why. We now do Dance Dance Revolution on the Playstation with an LCD monitor daily for 30 minutes, but it is only a 15' monitor. I know there is no flicker, but I wanted to see if the action part is an issue. Somehow it doesn't seem to be, maybe because he is jumping around on the dance pad versus his whole being focused on the screen. Unfortunately, there is no LCD equivalent for a Gameboy. We struggled with the Gameboy ourselves--there was soooo much peer pressure to have one--this is the one area where kids gave him a hard time for my strictness. But we had this restriction before we even knew he had issues with computer. My husband put his foot down on the Gameboy--I would have caved in at the time ("just for carrides and planerides"). Looking back, I owe one to my husband, given our son's high sensitivity. What we did later was let him borrow my laptop (LCD screen) for long car rides. We have also bought tons of toys and puzzles that he brings on car and plane rides--I probably went overboard to compensate! He didn't miss the Gameboy since he never had it--he just didn't want to be different from friends. I have talked a lot about screen flicker, but as some have suggested, the rapid action of the games itself may stimulates tics for some. My son was definitely worse during/after stressful games. Goodness knows why other stressful situations didn't affect him--maybe it was the flicker/rapid action/stress combo. Kids are all so unique! Only trial and error can determine what is the trigger for your own child of course, and whether the effects are fleeting (less problematic) or lingering, as they are for my son. I hope it is the former for you. Good luck Robin! Claire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jean Posted February 1, 2004 Report Share Posted February 1, 2004 but as some have suggested, the rapid action of the games itself may stimulates tics for some. My son was definitely worse during/after stressful games. Claire Claire, Definitely. For my son, by watching others play game boys will set him off. I have to eliminate those games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claire Posted February 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2004 Hi Jean, My son cannot watch others play the games either! I guess that is similar ot issues with passive TV watching. Claire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claire Posted February 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2004 Robin, One other thing. As with dietary approaches and supplementation, I do think that 'one size fits all' doesn't apply here. It is so odd to me that some tic during video games and not TV, and some tic during TV not video games. And for your son, he only tics during GameBoy! I bet an EEG on flicker with a stroboscope would identify if it is the flicker (vs the action vs stress or whatever). But I figure one can tell this via observation for your own child also. Did the tics disappear once gameplay stopped, or linger a little? Claire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest_efgh Posted February 1, 2004 Report Share Posted February 1, 2004 My son tics more when he watches TV and much less when he is playing video games or on the computer. In his case, may be the passive act of TV Viewing triggers more tics. As Claire rightly mentioned, its so confusing and the triggers are so unique to every child. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Robin O Posted February 2, 2004 Report Share Posted February 2, 2004 Claire, The increase in tics lingers for about an hour and then they settle back down to their normal rate. His tics have been very very mild until he drank the milkshake Friday night. They were more carm this morning before school. I hope he does ok in school today. I asked him how he felt and he always says " I dont want to talk about my tics!!! We are also having a problem with his ADD. He seemed to be doing better with this since we started the Feingold diet but his teachers had a conference with me and his Dad last week and said He has not been paying attention or focusing at all lately! We are also on Bonnie G's vitaminn program. I emailed her and she said to try and up His TS plus control so he get s more of the Grape seed extract. She says this helps with the focus problems. I have been giving him 10 TS plus control, 3 mag/Taurate and 3 of the EPA/DHA. I will let you know how this works. I have read where alot of people take the Grape Seed Extract for allergies, mood and ADD, ADHD. Thanks for you help. Robin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest_efgh Posted February 2, 2004 Report Share Posted February 2, 2004 Robin When was your son's ADHD diagnosed? Heard that generally ADHD is diagnosed at a very early age (around 6 or so...) does your son have OCD symptoms too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claire Posted February 3, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2004 I had another thought on tics and gameboys, etc... Our neurotherapist said that the neurotherapy protocols for ADD could actually cause tics in some children--whereas he didn't mention this for the other protocols. So perhaps it is indeed the stimulation zone that these games put the brain into (forgive my layman's words). He seemed concerned that the tics would go beyond just the session, which gives more credence to my concern --from someone with experience in trying to change the way kid's brains function. Claire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claire Posted February 27, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2004 Hmmm...my son was fine all day today, then I let him watch another TV movie on the LCD monitor. Now he says he can 'feel' the difference. He watched 5 movies in 5 days (due to his being in bed for 5 days). I don't think he has watched that much in 5 days in his life, and we don't watch TV at all normally, he occassionally has 30 minutes of computer on the LCD monitor. So maybe today's and yesterday's reaction is the cumulative effect of TV watching over a period of days. I am putting this on this thread, because I have stated that an LCD monitor might solve the TV reaction problem, and it helps, but doesn't seem to allow unlimited time--at least for my son. I had never tested it before because I didn't want to get my son into watching TV. I have to admit, my son is being great about helping to figure this out. He hates that feeling, I think it is quite stressful, even if no one can see it visibly. Tomorrow, he is back to school, yes! Claire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chemar Posted February 27, 2004 Report Share Posted February 27, 2004 Claire did you see those interesting links that chagitb posted on that complementary treatments thread on the braintalk ts forum after you posted about the photosensitivity. Certainly supports a lot of what you notice with your son Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claire Posted February 28, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2004 Nancy/Chemar Nancy, How old is your son again? I read your comment about Playstation. My son used to watch TV and play computer and video games without any problems. Then around 8 years old within a very very short time window they caused a significant tic reaction, which actually got worse over the next couple of years. ie first it was just computer (closer to his eyes), then later it was TV too, and then he tolerated less exposure to either before reacting, then the reactions involved compulsions as well as tics. This has always been a thought of mine: That most people don't realize video games/TV are a trigger because historically they weren't a trigger. (Just like newly developed allergies). I thought it was worth mentioning as food for thought that it didn't impact my son until a certain age. This may not be the case for your son, especially if your son is older. Chemar, I don't read Braintalk as often--I just feel like I know the folks here better. So thanks for that info, as I hadn't checked that link. I tried, but couldn't help but respond to the photosensitive epilepsy comment, as I just don't think all our kids who tic during TV and video games are having seizures. Statistically it just doesn't make sense to me (plus how can we all be blind to some lack of consciousness?), though that is what 99% of the information seems to focus on. Claire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest_efgh Posted February 28, 2004 Report Share Posted February 28, 2004 Claire and Ronnas Same here. Even my son's tics have reduced a lot after this "no tv" move. Thanks for your info on this. But he does not have tics due to computer. only tv.... Claire, what do you mean by "long-term brain changes from continued exposure to a still developing brain "...Can you please elaborate on this...... thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest_efgh Posted February 28, 2004 Report Share Posted February 28, 2004 Claire In addition to what I have written in the above post .... Also, what is the photosensitive epilepsy comment you are talking about? Would like to more on that since most of our kids tic a LOT while watching tv and none have any epilepsy related problems... Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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