Dopaminergic mechanism in generalized photosensitive epilepsy.

Apomorphine, a dopamine receptor agonist, blocked epileptic photosensitivity in patients with primary corticoreticular epilepsy. This effect was not modified by naloxone, a narcotic antagonist, suggesting that apomorphine acts on cerebral dopaminergic receptors. Apomorphine did not block spontaneous spike-and-wave discharges in patients with nonphotosensitive primary corticoreticular epilepsy. The different actions of apomorphine on spontaneous and photically induced spike-and-wave activity suggest that there is a selective dopaminergic mechanism in human epileptic photosensitivity.