SUDEP: A global perspective.

The potential for an epileptic seizure to end life has been known throughout history, although the cause of many such deaths is still not understood. Over the last 25 years there has been increasing interest in the phenomenon of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) leading to an upswing in the investigation of epilepsy-related mortality. Families bereaved by epilepsy have played an important role in promoting awareness and research, with the UK leading the way on community and political action to tackle epilepsy-related mortality; SUDEP has now become a global conversation with clinicians, scientists, and the community working together to identify strategies that can reduce deaths. The evolution in the approach to epilepsy-related deaths and the impact on epilepsy care are discussed. This paper is for the Special Issue "Prevent 21: SUDEP Summit - Time to Listen".