Cardiac Mechanisms of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy

Sudden Unexpected Death in EPilepsy, or SUDEP, is a leading cause of death in patients with epilepsy. The mechanisms by which SUDEP occurs are not understood, although there is evidence to implicate apnea, autonomic dysfunction, and cardiac arrhythmias. Here we will take advantage of recent progress in the understanding of SUDEP risk in the genetic epilepsies to investigate the role of cardiac arrhythmias in this devastating outcome. We will explore the electrophysiological properties and gene expression profiles in patient-derived cardiac myocytes to understand the pathogenic mechanisms of SUDEP and identify biomarkers.