Why some people with epilepsy don't start breathing again after seizures
Official title: Autoresuscitation and SUDEP
Funded at Creighton University · NIH-11285486 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how the body's breathing-restart reflex fails after severe seizures in people with epilepsy who are at risk for sudden unexpected death (SUDEP).
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Creighton University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Omaha, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2022 |
| Project end | January 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $354,600 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS126418-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11285486 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
The findings would be most relevant to people with epilepsy who have frequent or severe generalized convulsive seizures and are considered at higher risk for SUDEP.
✕Less likely to help
People whose seizures are well controlled or who do not experience generalized convulsive seizures may see little direct benefit from this project in the short term.
What this research studies
If you have epilepsy, the researchers want to understand why breathing sometimes doesn't come back after a big convulsive seizure. They will use animal models and brainstem breathing-neuron measurements to trace how blood gas changes and seizure events affect the reflex that restarts breathing (autoresuscitation). The team will look for molecular and network changes that make this reflex weaker and test interventions that might restore it. Their goal is to find targets that could lead to treatments preventing terminal apnea after seizures.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to strengthen the breathing-restart response after seizures and reduce deaths from SUDEP.
How similar studies have gone: Clinical case series and animal work have linked breathing and blood-gas failure to SUDEP, but directly targeting autoresuscitation mechanisms is a relatively new and less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Creighton University
Omaha, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Simeone, Timothy a. — Creighton University
- Study coordinator: Simeone, Timothy a.
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.