Abstract
Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder, hallmark of which is unpredictable epileptic seizures (ES). The leading cause of death in people with uncontrolled ES is the sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP), which is believed to share genes with sudden cardiac death (SCD). Being T-wave alternans (TWA) an ECG index of SCD, aim of this work was to evaluate TWA occurrence in proximity of ES. Electrocardiograms (ECG) from five partial epileptic patients constituting the “Post-Ictal Heart Rate Oscillations in Partial Epilepsy” Database by Physionet were analysed for automatic TWA identification by the heart-rate adaptive match filter (HRAMF). ES onsets and offsets were annotated. ECG segments starting 10min before ES and ending 10min after ES were extracted and further processed to characterize trends of median heart rate, median TWA (mTWA) and maximum TWA (MTWA) in ES proximity. Levels of mTWA were significantly higher than what previously observed in a female healthy population in all ES (46[25; 59]μV), pre-ES (31 [25;62]μ V) and post-ES (30[26;63]μ V) conditions. Both mTWA and MTWA tended to increase during ES. Thus, in proximity of ES, our epileptic patients are at increased risk of SCD, possibly associated with SUDEP. Other studies defining TWA role as a biomarker for SUDEP are needed.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
