|
SUDEP is the most frequent cause of death among people with drug-resistant epilepsy. Although different biological processes may contribute to SUDEP, the most prominent appears to be a phenomenon known as central apnea, a condition in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts, usually while sleeping, during or immediately after a severe seizure. There is compelling evidence that breathing irregularities are an underlying cause of SUDEP. Research to date has almost exclusively concentrated on the role of an area of the brain called the brainstem, which ultimately connects higher cortical regions of the brain to the spinal cord. Although the brainstem plays a crucial role in maintaining respiratory activity, it may not be the only contributing area. Indeed, areas of the cortex have also been implicated, but the specific roles different areas of the cortex play in modulating breathing is unclear. Most importantly, there are currently no strategies for directly improving respiratory function during the dangerous period between seizure-induced central apnea and death.
|
|
