New ECG Test May Help Predict SUDEP Risk
⚠️ SUDEP: If you have concerns, speak with your clinician about risk and safety planning.
Source: Epilepsia
Summary
Researchers studied the connection between heart and breathing patterns during seizures in people with epilepsy, focusing on those who experienced sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) compared to those who did not. They analyzed data from 21 SUDEP cases and 21 control cases, looking at the heart's electrical activity (ECG) during seizures to see how breathing affected heart function. The goal was to find a way to identify risks for SUDEP by examining these patterns.
The study found that during seizures, people who experienced SUDEP showed stronger connections between their breathing and heart rates compared to those who did not have SUDEP. Specifically, the researchers noted that higher breathing and heart rates were linked to problems in how the brain controls these functions. They developed a model that could accurately distinguish between seizures in SUDEP and non-SUDEP patients, suggesting that monitoring these patterns could help identify those at risk for SUDEP.
This research is important because it offers a potential way to predict SUDEP risk using non-invasive methods, which could lead to better monitoring and treatment options for people with epilepsy. However, the study was limited to a small number of cases, and more research is needed to confirm these findings and explore how they can be applied in everyday clinical settings.
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