02131: Neurostimulation: A Groundbreaking New Treatment for Canine Epilepsy

Grant Amount: $116,000

Sam Nicholas Long, PhD; The University of Melbourne

October 1, 2014 - June 30, 2017

Sponsor(s): Alaskan Malamute Club of America, Inc., American Belgian Tervuren Club, Inc., American Brittany Club, American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club Charitable Trust, American German Shepherd Dog Charitable Foundation, Inc., American Pointer Club, Australian Shepherd Health & Genetics Institute, Chihuahua Club of America, Collie Health Foundation, English Springer Spaniel Field Trial Association Foundation, Field Spaniel Society of America, German Shorthaired Pointer Club of America, Inc., Giant Schnauzer Club of America, Gordon Setter Club of America, Inc., Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Club of America, Inc., Greyhound Club of America, Irish Water Spaniel Club of America, Keeshond Club of America, Siberian Husky Club of America, Inc., St. Bernard Club of America, Toby's Foundation, United States Australian Shepherd Association, United States Australian Shepherd Foundation

Breed(s): -All Dogs

Research Program Area: Epilepsy Initiative

Abstract

Epilepsy is a debilitating condition that affects a large number of dogs, resulting in premature death and distress for their owners. For many dogs the underlying cause is unknown. In people, advances in some types of imaging have identified subtle abnormalities, including abnormal development and shrinkage of particular regions in the brain of some people with epilepsy that can be surgically removed to improve the control of seizures. This project will apply the same advanced techniques to the brains of dogs with epilepsy to determine whether those same abnormalities exist in dogs. In those dogs in which no abnormalities can be found, this project will investigate a new form of treatment, known as neurostimulation which has been shown to reduce the frequency of seizures dramatically in human clinical trials. This involves surgically implanting a new, highly sophisticated device called the Brain Radio that can provide controlled electrical stimulation to parts of the brain while simultaneously recording the brain's activity. This device is one of the very first that could potentially provide successful therapy only when needed to treat imminent seizures and if it proves successful in dogs it will enter clinical trials in people with epilepsy.

Publication(s)

Milne, M. E., Anderson, G. A., Chow, K. E., O’Brien, T. J., Moffat, B. A., & Long, S. N. (2013). Description of technique and lower reference limit for magnetic resonance imaging of hippocampal volumetry in dogs. American Journal of Veterinary Research, 74(2), 224–231. https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.74.2.224

Milne, M. E., Steward, C., Firestone, S. M., Long, S. N., O’Brien, T. J., & Moffat, B. A. (2016). Development of representative magnetic resonance imaging–based atlases of the canine brain and evaluation of three methods for atlas-based segmentation. American Journal of Veterinary Research, 77(4), 395–403. https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.77.4.395