Cited by 67Epilepsy research and treatmentSleep and related disordersNeuroscience of respiration and sleep

Dead in the Night: Sleep-Wake and Time-Of-Day Influences on Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy

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Purnell, Benton S., Thijs, Roland D., Buchanan, Gordon F.·2018·Frontiers in Neurology

Abstract

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is the leading cause of epilepsy-related death in patients with refractory epilepsy. Convergent lines of evidence suggest that SUDEP occurs due to seizure induced perturbation of respiratory, cardiac, and electrocerebral function as well as potential predisposing factors. It is consistently observed that SUDEP happens more during the night and the early hours of the morning. The aim of this review is to discuss evidence from patient cases, clinical studies, and animal research which is pertinent to the nocturnality of SUDEP. There are a number of factors which might contribute to the nighttime predilection of SUDEP. These factors fall into four categories: influences of (1) being unwitnessed, (2) lying prone in bed, (3) sleep-wake state, and (4) circadian rhythms. During the night, seizures are more likely to be unwitnessed; therefore, it is less likely that another person would be able to administer a lifesaving intervention. Patients are more likely to be prone on a bed following a nocturnal seizure. Being prone in the accouterments of a bed during the postictal period might impair breathing and increase SUDEP risk. Sleep typically happens at night and seizures which emerge from sleep might be more dangerous. Lastly, there are circadian changes to physiology during the night which might facilitate SUDEP. These possible explanations for the nocturnality of SUDEP are not mutually exclusive. The increased rate of SUDEP during the night is likely multifactorial involving both situational factors, such as being without a witness and prone, and physiological changes due to the influence of sleep and circadian rhythms. Understanding the causal elements in the nocturnality of SUDEP may be critical to the development of effective preventive countermeasures.

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  • The risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy patients is higher during the night.

    “Furthermore, the risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy patients is higher during the night77.”

    From Data quality evaluation in wearable monitoring (2022) · cites this paper as [77]

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  1. [93]Raschke Möller Untersuchungen zur tagersrhythmik der chesensitivität und daren beitrag zu nächtlichen atmungsregulationsstörungen. Pneumology (1989) 43: 568– 71. 2514425

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Authors
Purnell, B. S., Thijs, R. D., & Buchanan, G. F.
Affiliations
  • University of Iowa (US)
  • Leiden University Medical Center (NL)
Corresponding author
Buchanan, Gordon F.
Venue
Frontiers in Neurology
Published
2018-12-11
Volume
9
Pages
1079-1079
ISSN
1664-2295 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2904372366
Cited by
67
References
183
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 6 · 2017: 1
FWCI
0.96
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Frontiers in Neurology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Leiden Repository (Leiden University) (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
Funders
National Institutes of Health
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Epilepsy research and treatment
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Neuroscience of respiration and sleep
Keywords
sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, sleep-wake states, circadian rhythm, time of day, prone position, postictal period, SUDEP prevention, drug-resistant epilepsy

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