Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy, SUDEP

What if one morning you awakened to find a friend, relative or someone you know with epilepsy lying lifelessly in bed - dead? That significant individual may have been behaving normally, when you last spoke to or saw her. However, when postmortem examinations are done there appears to be focal brain lesions that may have caused a seizure before they passed away, but the autopsy reveals no cause of death.

What has occurred is known as sudden unexpected death. This devastating and horrific situation is unfortunate to everyone. SUDEP is no longer as rare as it was in the past. About 40-50% of deaths in those with epilepsy relate directly to their epilepsy, and of those, 8-17% of deaths are caused by SUDEP. Although sudden unexpected death has gradually become more common in an issue often not spoken about - even by doctors treating people with epilepsy, who either fear speaking about this difficult subject, or are unaware of the risks. More research is needed to learn what exactly causes SUDEP and how it relates to one's seizures and epilepsy.