ABSTRACT

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is defined as sudden, unexpected, witnessed or unwitnessed, non-traumatic and non-drowning death in patients with epilepsy, with or wit-hout evidence for a seizure and excluding documented status epilepticus, in which post-mortem examination does not reve- al a toxicological or anatomical cause for death. SUDEP has long been recognised although excess mortality in epilepsy has not always been accepted. In the 1960’s it was suggested that there is no reason why an epileptic should not live as long as one who did not have epilepsy. SUDEP's occurrence is still not widely recognised and epidemiological studies to evaluate risk factors are fraught with problems. It has been estimated that the risk of sudden death for someone with epilepsy is almost 24 times higher than for someone without epilepsy.

Although SUDEP has been reported since the turn of the century, the incidence and pathophysiology of this phenome-non are not well understood. The incidence of SUDEP, possib-le mechanisms involved, potential risk factors and current rese-arch strategies are reviewed and examined with a perspective of forensic science practice in our country.