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. 2019 Nov-Dec;19(6):390-396.
doi: 10.1177/1535759719874787. Epub 2019 Sep 16.

Scurrying to Understand Sudden Expected Death in Epilepsy: Insights From Animal Models

Rui Li  1   2 , Gordon F Buchanan  1   2
Affiliations

Scurrying to Understand Sudden Expected Death in Epilepsy: Insights From Animal Models

Rui Li et al. Epilepsy Curr. 2019 Nov-Dec.

Abstract

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is the leading cause of death in patients with refractory epilepsy, accounting for up to 17% of deaths in patients with epilepsy. The pathophysiology of SUDEP has remained unclear, largely because it is unpredictable and commonly unwitnessed. This poses a great challenge to studies in patients. Recently, there has been an increase in animal studies to try to better understand the pathophysiology of SUDEP. In this current review, we focus on developments through seizure-induced death models and the preventative strategies they may reveal.

Keywords: SUDEP; animal models; arousal; breathing; cardiac; death.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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