A Survey of Medical Examiner Death Certification of Vignettes on Death in Epilepsy: Gaps in Identifying SUDEP

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is a leading cause of death in individuals with chronic, uncontrolled epilepsy (Tomson et al., 2005, 2008). These poorly understood deaths can occur in anyone with epilepsy of any kind, and both high and low risk groups have been identified (So, 2006; Tomson et al., 2005). The specific mechanism of death is unknown for SUDEP cases and likely multifactorial, with evidence suggesting brainstem dysfunction and cardiorespiratory dysregulation as a final common pathway associated with sudden death in these individuals (de la Grandmaison, 2006; Partemi et al., 2015; So, 2008; Tu et al., 2011).
Source: Epilepsy Research - Category: Neurology Authors: Source Type: research