Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is difficult in forensic pathology and prone to controversy due to the lack of objective specific forensic diagnostic indicators. The mechanism of SUDEP, as well as epilepsy, remains unclear. According to recent literature, cardiopulmonary dysfunction may be the direct cause of sudden epileptic death. The autonomic nervous system regulates cardiopulmonary function. The central autonomic neural network transmits central signals to the hypothalamus, pons, and medulla oblongata and then regulates autonomic neural activities through efferent nerves. There is an intersection between the central autonomic neural network and the origin of epileptic discharge and the epileptic network, so the abnormal discharge of neurons during epileptic seizures may impact the central autonomic neural network. It is clinically observed that autonomic symptoms may accompany epileptic seizures, and epileptic seizures can also cause abnormal cardiopulmonary function.
This topic focused on the central autonomic neural network, which may trigger both seizure and cardiopulmonary dysfunction. The mechanism of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy and the pathogenesis of epilepsy is to be explored with this Research Topic so that the newly developed involved pathways and proteins have the potential to be forensic diagnostic indicators in sudden death with a negative autopsy.
We will consider Original Research, Reviews, Clinical Trials, and Methods addressing the following topics:
- Human nervous sudden death forensic diagnoses such as SUDEP with the information of autopsy, medical records, EEG, and specific pathological changes
- Molecular mechanisms of epilepsy (including traumatic epilepsy, status epilepticus, etc.) and the accompanying changes in cardiopulmonary function
- Molecular mechanisms of antiepileptic drugs and antiseizure drugs in epilepsy and their influence on cardiopulmonary function
- Retrospective analysis of clinical data such as the cardiopulmonary function of epileptic patients
Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is difficult in forensic pathology and prone to controversy due to the lack of objective specific forensic diagnostic indicators. The mechanism of SUDEP, as well as epilepsy, remains unclear. According to recent literature, cardiopulmonary dysfunction may be the direct cause of sudden epileptic death. The autonomic nervous system regulates cardiopulmonary function. The central autonomic neural network transmits central signals to the hypothalamus, pons, and medulla oblongata and then regulates autonomic neural activities through efferent nerves. There is an intersection between the central autonomic neural network and the origin of epileptic discharge and the epileptic network, so the abnormal discharge of neurons during epileptic seizures may impact the central autonomic neural network. It is clinically observed that autonomic symptoms may accompany epileptic seizures, and epileptic seizures can also cause abnormal cardiopulmonary function.
This topic focused on the central autonomic neural network, which may trigger both seizure and cardiopulmonary dysfunction. The mechanism of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy and the pathogenesis of epilepsy is to be explored with this Research Topic so that the newly developed involved pathways and proteins have the potential to be forensic diagnostic indicators in sudden death with a negative autopsy.
We will consider Original Research, Reviews, Clinical Trials, and Methods addressing the following topics:
- Human nervous sudden death forensic diagnoses such as SUDEP with the information of autopsy, medical records, EEG, and specific pathological changes
- Molecular mechanisms of epilepsy (including traumatic epilepsy, status epilepticus, etc.) and the accompanying changes in cardiopulmonary function
- Molecular mechanisms of antiepileptic drugs and antiseizure drugs in epilepsy and their influence on cardiopulmonary function
- Retrospective analysis of clinical data such as the cardiopulmonary function of epileptic patients
