AES-NINDS Epilepsy Benchmarks Area IV: Comorbidities of Epilepsy - Where Are We and Where Will We Go?

Area IV of the 2021 Epilepsy Research Benchmarks aims to establish research goals to limit or prevent adverse consequences of seizures and their treatment across the life span. In this commentary, we will highlight key advances in Area IV. We will focus here on the comorbidities of epilepsy with special emphasis on neuropsychiatry, the endocrine system, and sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, which were discussed at the Epilepsy Benchmarks Area IV Symposium during the Annual Meeting of the American Epilepsy Society in December 2025.