Tag Archives: sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP)

Introduction Heart rhythm changes are common during seizures, even those seizures not associated with convulsive activity. Most studies report tachycardia, a heart rate increase of more than 10 beats per minute above the baseline, as the most common rhythm abnormality occurring in 64–100% of temporal lobe seizures.1,2 By contrast, ictal bradycardia has been reported in less than 6% of patients with complex partial seizures.3,4 The ictal bradycardia syndrome occurs in those with established epilepsy when epileptic discharges disrupt normal cardiac rhythm leading to a decrease in heart rate of more than 10 beats per minute below the baseline.