Takeaway
Ictal apnea (IA) is a frequent clinical phenomenon, predominantly observed in patients with focal epilepsy.
Why this matters?
Peri-ictal respiratory disturbances have been linked to sudden unexplained death in epilepsy, especially during tonic-clonic seizures. There is limited data on ictal respiratory impairment occurring in focal seizures.
These findings further illustrate the complex physiological mechanisms of IA in seizures. When managing patients with epilepsy, respiratory polygraphy should be considered in order to minimize risk of sudden unexplained death.