title: [Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy: SUDEP].
abstract: Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is the most important direct epilepsy-related cause of death. Patients with refractory epilepsy are at especially high risk of SUDEP. SUDEP occurs predominantly at night and unwitnessed, and can best be regarded as a fatal tonic-clonic seizure. While its pathophysiology is incompletely understood, SUDEP is most probably triggered by a number of predisposing and precipitating factors, including seizure-induced respiratory depression and cardiac arrhythmia. Achieving seizure freedom is the best way to prevent SUDEP. Nocturnal supervision may be another alternative preventive strategy, but this requires further research.
authors.affiliation: Stichting Epilepsie Instellingen Nederland (SEIN), afd. Neurologie, Heemstede.
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Lamberts
authors.forename: Hanno L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Quinten H
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Leijten
authors.forename: Josemir W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Sander
authors.forename: Roland D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Thijs
mesh_terms: D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002423:Cause of Death; D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D012307:Risk Factors; D012640:Seizures / Q000401:mortality*
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants