Myers KA, et al. - Whether abnormalities in heart rate variability (HRV) were linked to sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) in patients with epilepsy due to mutations in sodium channel (SCN) genes were examined in this analysis. HRV in epilepsy patients were retrospectively evaluated using electroencephalographic studies to examine the potential contribution of autonomic dysregulation to SUDEP risk. In patients with epilepsy, autonomic dysfunction was correlated with SUDEP risk due to sodium channel mutations. Findings suggested that HRV might eventually have potential as a biomarker of SUDEP risk, which would allow for more informed counseling of patients and families. In addition, serve as a useful outcome measure for research aimed at developing therapies and interventions to lessen SUDEP risk.