Evaluation of Heart Rate Variability Parameters During Awake and Sleep in Refractory and Controlled Epileptic Patients.

Background: Alterations of heart rate variability (HRV) in epileptic patients were the field of interest of several studies for many reasons, particularly the contribution toward sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP).

Aim: We aimed at evaluation of autonomic dysfunction in epileptic patients during awake and sleep in addition to studying the association between SUDEP risk with different Holter parameters.

Patients And Methods: The study included eighty epileptic patients (40 controlled epileptic patients and 40 refractory epileptic patients) compared to 30 volunteers as control group.

Evaluation of QT dispersion in epileptic patients and its association with SUDEP risk.

Background: Mortality in epileptic patients was attributed to sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). The precise pathophysiology of SUDEP is not fully understood, yet prolongation of ventricular repolarization particularly QTc interval suggested to be one of the contributing risk factor for SUDEP.

Objectives: We aimed at evaluation of QTc and QT dispersion (QTD) in patients with epilepsy (both refractory and well-controlled epilepsy) and their association with the epileptic severity and sudden unexplained death (SUDEP) risk.