Fiona James, DVM, MSc, DVSc, Dip. ACVIM (Neurology), a veterinary neurologist and associate professor at the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph, has found a way to repurpose technology from human medicine for the diagnosis of idiopathic epilepsy in dogs. Long considered the gold standard for diagnosis of seizures in humans, James and her team have been studying the use of electroencephalography (EEG) to identify seizures in dogs, where they start in the brain, and possible underlying causes.
James said that EEG use in dogs has previously been limited due to variation in head shape across breeds. For this reason, much of her work has focused on using 3-D dog skull models to determine optimal sensor placement for diagnostic EEG readings.
The benefits of EEG in dogs
According to James, having the information EEG technology provides may lead to a better understanding of the causes of seizures in dogs and to the development of more targeted and effective treatment options (including both medication and surgery) for dogs with epilepsy. EEG technology can also be used to detect non-generalized seizures and other more subclinical presentations in dogs, which can account for about one-third of all epilepsy cases in dogs.
In a recent radio interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, James explained that EEGs can be performed on awake patients, not only in the hospital, but also at home. Her team has fashioned a backpack dogs can wear to house the wireless EEG equipment while they “do their thing” at home. In that way, James can obtain EEG readings over a period of 48 hours. And even if a dog doesn’t have a seizure within this period, the EEG may identify inter-ictal activity that is suggestive of epilepsy.
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