Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy: The Neuro-Cardio-Respiratory Connection

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is the leading cause of epilepsy-related premature mortality with an annual rate ranging between 0.3 and 6 cases of SUDEP per 1000 adult persons with epilepsy and 1 case of SUDEP per 4,500 children [1,2]. SUDEP accounts for 8-17% of deaths in people with epilepsy. The etiology of SUDEP remains unknown. It is defined as sudden, unexpected, non-traumatic, non-drowning death in an individual with epilepsy, witnessed or unwitnessed, in which autopsy does not reveal an anatomic or toxicologic cause for the death [3,4].

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