Researchers have identified a circuit within the brain that may be responsible for respiratory dysfunction and sudden death associated with Dravet syndrome.
Both sleep and seizures reduce heart rate, a new study into mortality and epilepsy reveal. Seizures also disrupt the natural regulation of sleep-related changes. This can sometimes prove deadly and increase the risk of sudden death in epilepsy patients.
Mice expressing a specific variant of the Scn1a gene associated with Dravet syndrome exhibited spontaneous seizures, disordered breathing and died prematurely.
For the first time, researchers have successfully stimulated a human amygdala and recorded breathing loss. Their research provides important insight into SUDEP.
