title: Cardiorespiratory abnormalities during epileptic seizures.
abstract: Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is a leading cause of death in young and otherwise healthy patients with epilepsy, and sudden death is at least 20 times more common in epilepsy patients as compared to patients without epilepsy. A significant proportion of patients with epilepsy experience cardiac and respiratory complications during seizures. These cardiorespiratory complications are suspected to be a significant risk factor for SUDEP. Sleep physicians are increasingly involved in the care of epilepsy patients and a recognition of these changes in relation to seizures while a patient is under their care may improve their awareness of these potentially life-threatening complications that may occur during sleep studies. This paper details these cardiopulmonary changes that take place in relation to epileptic seizures and how these changes may relate to the occurrence of SUDEP.
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA. Electronic address: Sanjeev.Kothare@nyumc.org.
authors.forename: Sanjeev V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Kothare
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; Department of Pediatrics (Neurology), University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Kanwaljit
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000209:etiology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006321:Heart / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: Cardiac abnormalities; EEG; Epilepsy; Respiratory abnormalities; Sudden death in epilepsy