Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Clinical characteristics and mode of inheritance of familial focal seizures in Standard Poodles.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 2007
- Authors:
- Licht, Barbara G et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Psychology · United States
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
This study looked at a group of Standard Poodles to understand the characteristics and inheritance of seizures, specifically a type known as probable idiopathic epilepsy (PIE). Out of 90 dogs from the same bloodline, 30 had a history of seizures, most of which started around 3.7 years of age, although some began after 5 years old. The researchers found that these seizures often began in one area of the brain before possibly spreading. They concluded that PIE appears to be passed down through families in a simple way, meaning a dog would need to inherit the trait from both parents to show symptoms. Overall, the findings suggest that if you have a Standard Poodle from this bloodline, there may be a genetic risk for seizures.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine clinical characteristics and mode of inheritance of seizures in a family of Standard Poodles. DESIGN: Case series. ANIMALS: 90 Standard Poodles descended from the same maternal bloodline (30 with probable idiopathic epilepsy [PIE] and 60 without any history of seizures). PROCEDURES: Researchers contacted owners to determine whether dogs had ever had any seizures and, if so, the nature of any such seizures and any potential underlying causes. Dogs were considered to have PIE if they were between 6 months and 7.5 years old at the time of seizure onset and had no evidence of any underlying cause. To determine the mode of inheritance, segregation analyses were designed to allow the family to be analyzed as a whole, as opposed to as nuclear families. Competing models of inheritance were compared statistically for their ability to explain the data. RESULTS: Of the dogs with PIE, 28 (93%) had focal onset seizures with or without secondary generalization. Median age of onset was 3.7 years; 6 dogs were > 5 years old at the onset of seizures. Segregation analyses strongly suggested that PIE was inherited as a simple recessive autosomal trait with complete or almost complete penetrance. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggested that in this family of Standard Poodles, PIE was inherited as a simple recessive autosomal trait with complete or almost complete penetrance. Seizures often had focal, as opposed to generalized, onsets, and it was not uncommon for seizures to begin after 5 years of age.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18020993/