Epilepsy and Heart Rhythms: The Link Explained

Epilepsy, a significant cause of disability and early death globally, can be tricky to diagnose. Doctors need detailed patient histories and specific tests to tell apart epilepsy from fainting spells. A big part of this diagnosis is using an electroencephalogram (EEG), which records brain activity. When done for a longer time and combined with heart monitoring (ECG) and video, it gives more accurate results. People with epilepsy might experience various heart rhythm issues during seizures. With more people using wearable tech and survival rates improving, these rhythm problems might become more common. For instance, when the heartbeat slows down or even stops during temporal lobe seizures, there's a risk of falls and injuries. Cardiac pacing could prevent this, but controlling seizures with medication is also crucial. Sudden, unexpected deaths in epilepsy might be due to a different cause. It could be related to issues with the heart and breathing control systems, often tied to certain types of seizures. Researchers are finding more connections between heart and brain conditions, which could lead to better treatments in the future. A simple heart test result, called the QT interval, is important in epilepsy. Different types of seizures affect this result. Some medicines used to stop seizures can also cause heart rhythm problems, but we don't have much data on this. This report tells us what we know now about epilepsy and heart rhythm issues, and where we need more information.