title: Furthering our understanding of SUDEP: the role of animal models.
abstract: Sudden and unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is the most common type of death among patients with epilepsy. Here, we address the importance of the experimental models in search of the mechanisms underlying SUDEP. Most studies have investigated the cardiovascular responses in animal models of epilepsy. However, there are few proposed SUDEP models in literature. Hypoventilation, apnea, respiratory distress, pulmonary hypertension, autonomic dysregulation and arrhythmia are common findings in epilepsy models. Impairments on adenosinergic and serotonergic systems, brainstem spreading depolarization, seizure-activation of neural substrates related to cardiorespiratory control, altered autonomic control, and mutations on sodium and potassium channels are hypothesis suggested. Overall, current research highlights the evident multifactorial nature of SUDEP, which involves acute and chronic aspects ranging from systemic to molecular alterations. Thus, we are convinced that elucidation and prevention of SUDEP can be achieved only through the interaction between basic and clinical science.
authors.affiliation: a Laboratório Integrado de Fisiopatologia Cardiovascular e Neurológica. Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas , Universidade Federal de Goiás , Goiânia , Brasil.
authors.forename: Aline P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Pansani
authors.affiliation: a Laboratório Integrado de Fisiopatologia Cardiovascular e Neurológica. Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas , Universidade Federal de Goiás , Goiânia , Brasil.
authors.forename: Diego B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Colugnati
authors.affiliation: b Disciplina de Neurociência. Departamento de Neurologia/Neurocirurgia , Escola Paulista de Medicina/Universidade Federal de São Paulo (EPM/UNIFESP) , São Paulo , Brasil.
authors.forename: Carla A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Scorza
authors.affiliation: c Laboratório de Neurociência Experimental e Computacional. Departamento de Engenharia de Biossistemas , Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei , São João del-Rei , Brasil.
authors.forename: Antonio-Carlos G
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: de Almeida
authors.affiliation: b Disciplina de Neurociência. Departamento de Neurologia/Neurocirurgia , Escola Paulista de Medicina/Universidade Federal de São Paulo (EPM/UNIFESP) , São Paulo , Brasil.
authors.forename: Esper A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Cavalheiro
authors.affiliation: b Disciplina de Neurociência. Departamento de Neurologia/Neurocirurgia , Escola Paulista de Medicina/Universidade Federal de São Paulo (EPM/UNIFESP) , São Paulo , Brasil.
authors.forename: Fulvio A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Scorza
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001933:Brain Stem; D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000209:etiology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D012640:Seizures
keywords: SUDEP model; cardiovascular dysfunction; epilepsy model; respiratory dysfunction