E-Mail IMAGE: University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers Eric Wengert (from left), Manoj Patel and Ian Wenker have shed light on the cause of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP). view more Credit: Courtesy Patel lab New research from the University of Virginia School of Medicine has shed light on the No. 1 cause of epilepsy deaths, suggesting a long-sought answer for why some patients die unexpectedly following an epileptic seizure. The researchers found that a certain type of seizure is associated with sudden death in a mouse model of epilepsy and that death occurred only when the seizure induced failure of the respiratory system.