Abstracts

Rationale: Despite the rise in smart technology, trends evaluating texting, social media, and gaming behavior are lacking in patients with epilepsy (PWE). We sought to identify age and gender disparities in PWE undergoing elective video-EEG monitoring (VEM).   Methods: We prospectively surveyed 38 consecutive patients admitted for VEM between 2016 and 2017. Demographics included age and gender.  Use of social media, personal electronic devices, and platforms/consoles were identified.  Information focused on texting included texting history, hours spent texting per day, degree of concentration, level of engagement, content involved, and level of anxiety/emotion felt during texting. Categories were compared using chi-square and z-test analysis (p < 0.5). Results: A total of 35/38 eligible PWE (21 F) completed a survey; age 25 years or less (n= 10),  25 to 40 years (n= 9), and 40+ years (n=16). Overall, 76.3% of all surveyed individuals were texting for 5-15 years (Chi square p=0.61 age insignificant).  36.8% reported texting for 30 minutes or less/day, of which 64.2% came from the 40+ years group (p = 0.044). 13.8% of surveyors reported use of texting for 5 or more hours/day, all of which came from the 25 years and younger cohort. On the concentration scale, 57.9% of people (p=0.47) selected a level 6/10 rating or higher while texting. Most reported “topic of conversation” and “person they are texting” as the main incentives to respond to a text.  Family involvement and “talking best friends” (64.2%) was the most compelling content (< 25 years, p=0.056).  71.4% of respondents signified the most engaging texts were content-specific, with pictures and specific wording also common.  Attention/concentration was rated the most common emotion during texting followed by “entertainment”, and “anger/anxiety”; “sexual stimulation” and “happiness” were least. Emotional response was generated by the “most impactful text” in 59.4% followed by receiving a text for the first time.  There was no difference between stress created by composing, sending a group text, or responding to a prior text. Facebook was the most engaging social media dominating the 40+ age group. The 25 years and younger age group demonstrated a more widespread variety of social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr) including 80% who used Snapchat® with only 14.3% not using social media.  Age disparity was significant in the 40+ age group representing 83.3% who did not use any social media (p= Conclusions: These results suggest certain texting and video gaming trends and behaviors exist in epilepsy patients. All subjects demonstrated use of a smartphone as a personal electronic device. Generational differences can be seen in time-spent texting, content and texts incentives, and social media use, with younger patients spending more time on each including a wider variety of platforms.  The implication of our results may impact communication and management issues in adult PWE. Funding: No funding was received in support of this abstract.