03039: Prognostic Biomarkers for the Development of Drug Resistance in Dogs with Idiopathic Epilepsy
Grant Status: Open
Abstract
Idiopathic epilepsy is the most common cause of epilepsy in dogs, affecting 650,000-6,000,000 dogs in the US, Canada and Germany alone. Current treatment of idiopathic epilepsy is limited to anti-seizure drugs. Unfortunately, around 30% of dogs with idiopathic epilepsy will require lifelong treatment with two or more drugs to control their epilepsy and are thus affected with drug-resistant epilepsy. These drug-resistant epileptic patients often experience substantial side effects and a decreased quality of life for them and their caregivers. Patients with this concerning drug resistance are not easily identified early in the course of epilepsy which could delay the management of their refractory epilepsy. Several clinical, blood-based (circulating microRNAs) and brain activity (electroencephalographic) features have been proposed as potential biomarkers to predict the development of drug resistance early in the course of the disease which warrants further investigation in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy. In this study, investigators will work to identify and validate a combination of clinical features, circulating microRNAs and electroencephalographic biomarkers to predict the potential development of drug resistance in newly diagnosed idiopathic epileptic dogs. By developing an accurate prediction model based on the combination of these three types of biomarkers, a completely novel approach, this study aims to individualize and optimize the management of drug-resistant epilepsy through earlier detection of these patients and better defining their prognosis.
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