Grant Amount: $7,473.6

Dr. Sarah A Moore, DVM, Ohio State University

December 1, 2011 - November 30, 2012

Breed(s): Dachshund

Disease(s): Spinal Cord Injury

Abstract

LAY ABSTRACT: Spinal cord injury (SCI) caused by intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) is a common neurologic problem in dogs, with Dachshunds and Miniature dachshunds representing up to 75% of the cases of acute IVDD in dogs. Severity of clinical signs can range from mild back pain to severe neurologic abnormalities such as paralysis with loss of sensation to the limbs. In patients were there is loss of sensation to the limbs, recovery after surgery is limited, with only 50-60% of dogs eventually regaining the ability to walk and many of those having residual fecal or urinary incontinence. Recently, studies have shown that secondary immune-mediated damage to nervous tissue is an important cause of failure to recover after spinal cord injury. The presence of pro-inflammatory molecules such as hsp70, IL-1B and TFN-A in spinal fluid may represent important prognostic indicators of recovery as well as potential therapeutic targets to improve functional outcome in canine SCI patients. This proposal is designed as a pilot study to document whether hsp70, IL-1B and TFN-A responses occur in the spinal fluid of a small number of dogs with SCI cause by IVDD. This pilot data will be used to design a large scale study correlating these inflammatory responses to long term functional outcome in dogs with IVDD, with the ultimate goal of developing treatments targeted at improving long term outcome in canine SCI patients.