The influence of the full moon on seizure frequency: myth or reality?
Abstract
To investigate a possible relationship between seizure frequency and the lunar cycle, we reviewed the occurrence of seizures recorded in our epilepsy monitoring unit over a 3-year period. Analysis of the total number of seizures (epileptic plus nonepileptic) showed no significant association. A separate analysis revealed that for nonepileptic seizures, there was an increase at the full moon, and for epileptic seizures, an increase in the last quarter. We conclude that there is no "full moon" effect on seizures as a whole, although there is a possible effect on nonepileptic seizures.
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Modern studies do not find a connection between epileptic seizures and the full moon.
“In line with this, modern studies do not find a connection between epileptic seizures and the full moon (78).”
From An Overview of Monthly Rhythms and Clocks (2017) · cites this paper as [78]
Cites
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- Authors
- Benbadis, S. R., Chang, S., Hunter, J., & Wang, W.
- Affiliations
- University of South Florida (US)
- Corresponding author
- Benbadis, Selim R.
- Venue
- Epilepsy & Behavior
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2004-08
- Volume
- 5
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 596-597
- ISSN
- 1525-5050 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1976700267
- Cited by
- 60
- References
- 15
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 5 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 1.04
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Epilepsy & Behavior (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Epilepsy research and treatment
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Paranormal Experiences and Beliefs
- Keywords
- full moon, lunar cycle, seizure frequency, epilepsy, non-epileptic seizures, epileptic seizures, epilepsy monitoring unit, circalunar rhythm
- MeSH terms
- Humans, Periodicity, Retrospective Studies, Seizures, Chi-Square Distribution, Moon
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