Abstract.
The relationship between geomagnetic disturbances (with amplitudes above 50 nT) and the sudden unexplained death (SUD) of epileptic adults has been controversial up to now. In an autopsy-based cohort study (from 1964 to 1992) 15 epileptic children with SUD aged 1–14 years were compared to 63 epileptic children whose cause of death was known (KCD). The time of death as well as two international geomagnetic indices were assessed: Bartels' planetary 3-h signs (Kp) for the time of death and 2 h before, and the mean planetary daily amplitudes (Ap) on the day of death and on the 4 critical days before (and on the 4 post-mortem days as a control). Among the 15 SUD patients 9 died between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. (universal time) whereas the KCD group showed an approximately uniform distribution of the time of death (P = 0.026, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test). The Kp signs at death and 2 h before as well as the Ap indices at death and for the 4 pre-mortem days or after were not different in comparisons between the SUD and the KCD group (P > 0.2, Mann-Whitney test). Furthermore the frequency of sudden storm commencement at death and for the 4 days before revealed no deviation of the SUD (26.7%) from the KCD group (23.8%) (P > 0.2, Fisher test). The results do not support the hypothesis that geomagnetic disturbances are a risk factor for the sudden unexplained death of epileptic children.
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Acknowledgements.
The authors thank the late Dr. H.E. Boenigk (Bethel Epilepsy Center), Prof. Dr. B. Brinkmann (Münster), Prof. Dr. J. Otte (Bielefeld), Prof. Dr. L. Reinken (Hamm), Dr. J. Rotgeri-Nonnemann (Rietberg), Dr. K.H. Soer (Unna-Königsborn), Dr. K.Wesseler (Detmold), Dr. W. Wittmann (Leopoldshöhe), and Prof. Dr. P. Wolf (Bethel Epilepsy Center) for providing case histories. From 1981 to 1992 the post-mortem examinations were performed in collaboration with Prof. Dr. F. Gottschalk, Prof. Dr. R. Lahl, Dr. Th. Reuter, D. Siegmund, Dr. W. Wagner and Dr. R. Villagrán. The collection of the late Prof. Dr. G. Veith (former head of the Institute of Pathology and afterwards of the Institute of Neuropathology, Bethel, Bielefeld) was put at our disposal for the cases between 1964 and 1980. Finally we are indebted to Prof. M.A. Persinger (Sudbury, Ontario) for references and advice about the methods.
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In memory of Hans Erich Boenigk, MD (1943–2000), former head of the Children's Hospital Kidron in the Epilepsy Center Bethel (Bielefeld)
Prof. Dr. R. Schnabel died on 20 March 2003
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Schnabel, R., May, T.W., Beblo, M. et al. Are geomagnetic disturbances a risk factor for the sudden unexplained death of epileptic children?. Int J Biometeorol 48, 20–24 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-003-0168-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-003-0168-0