Heart diseases play a vital role in sudden unexpected death in epilepsy

Abstract

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) indicates sudden death without a definite cause in epileptics, especially during seizures or interictal phase. The risk of sudden death in epileptic patients is over 20 times higher than that in individuals without epilepsy. The explicit pathogenesis of SUDEP is not clear, while the heart disease is likely to play an important role in SUDEP. Cardiac dysfunction, which is caused by ion channel diseases, autonomic dysfunction, antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), is associated with SUDEP. Understanding of the mechanisms about cardiac factors is required to provide effective strategy for future control of SUDEP.

doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2014.11.006