Takeaway
Individuals with generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS) who sleep alone have an increased risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP), therefore there is a need for better supervision in high-risk patients with uncontrolled GTCS.
Why this matters
SUDEP is an important epilepsy-related cause of death, and is the second highest neurological disease when considering potential years of life lost.
In order to develop effective SUDEP prevention strategies and to guide patient counseling, the risk factors associated with SUDEP need to be elucidated in large, high-quality studies.