Heart abnormalities are unlikely to be the reason behind the high rate of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) in people with Dravet syndrome, a new study suggests, though further research is needed. The underlying cause of SUDEP in people with Dravet is unclear, but multiple interconnecting factors are likely at play. Better understanding these factors could aid in the development of strategies to help prevent SUDEP.
Studies in mice have suggested that SUDEP might be related to heart rhythm abnormalities, but it is unclear whether these findings might also translate to human disease.
The new study reports findings from a clinical trial (NCT02415686) in which people with Dravet wore electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) devices to monitor their heartbeats. The devices were worn daily and continuously recorded data. For each Dravet patient, researchers identified two people who were similar in age and sex to serve as controls.
Researchers looked for seizure-associated heart abnormalities that were more common among the Dravet patients than the controls. Such abnormalities could explain the comparatively high rate of SUDEP in Dravet.
Although some of the findings may warrant further study, the researchers found that none of the seizure-associated heart abnormalities could account for the comparatively high SUDEP rate in Dravet Syndrome.