Abstract
BACKGROUND: Within the general epilepsy population, the incidence of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) ranges from approximately 0.35 to 2.3 per 1,000 individuals per year. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the relationship between SUDEP risk factors and heart rate variability (HRV) parameters as a potential biomarker of SUDEP in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). METHODS: There were 52 patients diagnosed with DRE and under follow-up, and controls including 45 healthy subjects, included in the study. Hyperventilation-induced HRV (HRV(HV)) parameters, including the standard deviation of all RR intervals (SDRR), mean heart rate (HR), root mean squares of successive differences (RMSSD), SD of mean NN intervals recordings (SDANN), and HRV triangular index, were assessed during resting. To predict the risk of SUDEP, the relationship between HRV parameters and SUDEP risks was evaluated using the Risk Assessment for Sudden Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP-7) Risk Inventory. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was found in sympathetic skin response (SSR) latency and amplitudes between the patient and control groups. In comparing healthy control subjects with patients experiencing DRE, we observed significant decreases in SDRR(HV) and hyperventilation-induced RMSSD (RMSSD(HV)) values, specifically within HRV(HV). Notably, a significant correlation emerged concerning the RMSSD(HV) values (p < 0.01), when examining the correlation between the SUDEP-7 inventory and HRV(HV) parameters. CONCLUSION: This correlation between RMSSD(HV) and the SUDEP-7 Risk Inventory in patients with DRE represents a novel and consequential finding, suggesting its potential as an indicator of SUDEP risk.