Postictal Death Is Associated with Tonic Phase Apnea in a Mouse Model of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is an unpredictable and devastating comorbidity of epilepsy that is believed to be due to cardiorespiratory failure immediately after generalized convulsive seizures.

Methods

We performed cardiorespiratory monitoring of seizure-induced death in mice carrying either a p.Arg1872Trp or p.Asn1768Asp mutation in a single Scn8a allele-mutations identified from patients who died from SUDEP-and of seizure-induced death in pentylenetetrazole-treated wild-type mice.

Results

The primary cause of seizure-induced death for all mice was apnea, as (1) apnea began during a seizure and continued for tens of minutes until terminal asystole, and (2) death was prevented by mechanical ventilation. Fatal seizures always included a tonic

SUBMITTER: Wenker IC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8411945 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature