Return to search

On the Role of, and Intervention in, Oxygen-Conserving Reflexes in Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy

<p>Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is a fatal complication of epilepsy that kills 1̃2 of every 10,000 epileptic patients every year. SUDEP has proven difficult to study because it frequently occurs unobserved and cannot be predicted. What limited clinical data exists suggests that SUDEP occurs as a cardiorespiratory collapse immediately following a seizure. In this work, I explore how a group of autonomic reflexes termed collectively as “oxygen‐conserving reflexes (OCRs)” lead to sudden death when activated during seizures. I also demonstrate multiple physiological parallels between the OCR‐mediated deaths that I report and the clinical data on cases of human SUDEP. Additionally, I explore the neural pathway underlying OCRs, identify the carotid body as a potential target for intervention, and demonstrate the efficacy of electroceutical intervention in reducing the mortality risk of OCR activation during seizures. This work seeks to both offer a neural explanation for SUDEP as well as present a promising target and means for potential intervention.</p>

  1. 10.25394/pgs.20432082.v1
Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:purdue.edu/oai:figshare.com:article/20432082
Date04 August 2022
CreatorsEthan N Biggs (13199502)
Source SetsPurdue University
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeText, Thesis
RightsCC BY 4.0
Relationhttps://figshare.com/articles/thesis/On_the_Role_of_and_Intervention_in_Oxygen-Conserving_Reflexes_in_Sudden_Unexpected_Death_in_Epilepsy/20432082

Page generated in 0.0024 seconds