<p>Autonomic disturbances – changes in heart rhythm, blood pressure parameters, and respiration – are among the clinical manifestations of epileptic seizures, and their nature and severity may reflect information relating to the location of the seizure onset zone. Seizures originating from certain cortical structures of the brain belonging to the central autonomic network and involved in the autonomic regulation of vital functions are often accompanied by characteristic changes in systemic hemodynamics and respiration; however, the pathogenesis of these events is not fully understood. Modern approaches to the assessment of patients with epilepsy, particularly with respect to the possibility of implanting deep electrodes and applying direct cortical electrical stimulation of the brain regions involved in autonomic regulation, support investigations of autonomic changes during epileptic seizures with a clear relationship with the cortical structure being studied. Assessment of the relationship between cortical centers of autonomic control and the functioning of the cardiovascular system within the framework of the concept of the “brain–heart” axis is among the subjects of neurocardiology and is important for understanding the pathogenesis of life-threatening conditions in patients with epilepsy and their possible prevention.</p>