Associations between epilepsy, respiratory impairment, and minor ECG abnormalities in children

Cardiac functional and electrical alterations are well-described phenomena in individuals with epilepsy. Ictal and inter-ictal rhythm disturbances [1-5] and other electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities [6-13] indicate that epilepsy can have adverse effects on the autonomic nervous system as well as on the myocardium. Furthermore, epilepsy is associated with a higher risk for adverse cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction, arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death in adults [14-18]. Together, these findings support the concept of the epileptic heart: an aberrant cardiovascular system as result of long-standing epilepsy with potentially deleterious sequalae [19].

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