Translational Research Symposium: Current State of SUDEP Research

People with epilepsy are at 24-fold increased risk of sudden death compared to the general population. Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is defined as the sudden, unexpected, nontraumatic, and nondrowning death of an individual with epilepsy, with or without evidence of a seizure, in which postmortem examination does not reveal a structural or toxicologic cause of death. SUDEP is the leading cause of mortality in epilepsy. The SUDEP rate in general epilepsy is >1:1000 person-years, with rates in some drug-resistant epilepsies and developmental and epileptic encephalopathies exceeding 9:1000 person-years. This review summarizes the current state of the field of SUDEP research, including human cohort studies, genetic risk factors, the use of animal models of epilepsy and SUDEP, cardio-respiratory risk factors, EEG biomarkers during sleep, and the use of wearable devices to reduce SUDEP risk. Understanding of the current state of SUDEP research can help inform clinical care, motivate future research directions, and ultimately reduce the risk of SUDEP in the epilepsy population.