The Role of Orexin Neurons in Altered Respiratory Responses and SUDEP Risk

Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) remains a critical concern in epilepsy management, with the underlying mechanisms still not fully understood. Recent research from Iyer, S., et al (2024) has highlighted the role of respiratory dysfunction in SUDEP, particularly involving the orexinergic system in the brain. This blog delves into a fascinating study that investigates how altered ventilatory responses to hypercapnia-hypoxia (HH) challenges in a preclinical SUDEP model implicate orexin neurons.