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Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy: some approaches for its prevention and medico-legal consideration

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Abstract

Worldwide, mortality associated with epilepsy is a matter of grave concern. The mortality rate in epileptic population is two to three times more than that of the general population. Sudden unexplained death in epilepsy, better known as sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP), is a mysterious and rare condition, in which typically young or middle-aged people with epilepsy die without a clearly defined cause. At times, this may raise a strong suspicion of foul play and raise several medico-legal issues. There may be several different underlying mechanisms but most research has focused on seizure-related cerebral and respiratory depression, cardiac arrhythmia and autonomic dysfunction. In recent years, some significant risk factors have been recognized and strategies have been suggested that could be useful in prevention of SUDEP. Present communication provides some of the updates on new advances in prevention of SUDEP as well as highlights related medico-legal issues.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Japan Epilepsy Research Foundation, National Epilepsy Center, Shizuoka Institute of Epilepsy and Neurological Disorders, Urushiyama 886, Aoi-Ku, Shizuoka, 420-8688, Japan

    Archana Verma

  2. Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, UP Rural Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Saifai, Etawah, India

    Alok Kumar

Authors
  1. Archana Verma
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  2. Alok Kumar
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Correspondence to Archana Verma.

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Verma, A., Kumar, A. Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy: some approaches for its prevention and medico-legal consideration. Acta Neurol Belg 115, 207–212 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13760-014-0362-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13760-014-0362-3

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