Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic neurological diseases in both dogs and humans. It can significantly reduce the quality of life of the affected individual and increase the risk of premature death. Additionally, epilepsy may be associated with comorbidities such as behavioral changes. The primary treatment for epilepsy remains medication, focusing on alleviating the symptoms, namely seizures. Despite the wide range of developed antiepileptic drugs, about one-third of patients do not achieve sufficient seizure control. Unfortunately, it is difficult to predict in advance which patients will respond poorly to epilepsy medication, and finding reliable biomarkers to predict treatment response is crucial.
The BioEpiCa research project aims to identify diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for epilepsy, which could predict the future course of the disease, treatment response, and possibly ongoing epileptogenesis, the development phase of epilepsy.
Dogs participating in the study are examined at the Neurology Clinic of the University Veterinary Hospital. Participating dogs undergo comprehensive examinations recommended by the International Veterinary Epilepsy Task Force (IVETF) at the highest level of reliability, and we have access to the hospital's high-quality equipment (including high-field MRI and video-electroencephalogram, or videoEEG). The examinations are conducted by neurologists at the University Veterinary Hospital who have completed the European specialization in veterinary neurology (DiplECVN). Dogs participating in the study receive examinations and follow-up visits at a reduced price.
If you have any questions about the study or would like to enroll, please contact Associate Professor Tarja Pääkkönen or doctoral researcher Petra Kangas.
Fontanelles, or soft spots on the skull, are commonly found in Chihuahua dogs. They have been considered a harmless, structural characteristic of the breed. However, it has recently been shown that Chihuahuas can have fontanelles not only on the top of the skull but also on the sides and back. A large number and size of fontanelles are more common in dogs that have cranio-cervical junction constriction and syringomyelia, a condition caused by cerebrospinal fluid circulation disorder. These structural changes can cause nerve pain and coordination issues, thereby reducing the dogs' quality of life. The mechanism behind the formation of fontanelles is still unknown; they may occur due to a bone development disorder, thinning of normally developed bone tissue, or a combination of both. Understanding the formation mechanism is crucial to determine why symptomatic dogs have more fontanelles.
The aim of the study is to investigate the presence of fontanelles in normally developed, newborn puppies. The goal is to determine if fontanelles are present at birth in areas other than the top of the skull and to assess if there are differences in the occurrence of fontanelles between newborn Chihuahuas and puppies with intermediate skull shapes.
The study seeks externally normally developed puppies that have died due to birth complications or during the first days of life. The deceased puppies participating in the study will be examined at the University Veterinary Hospital, where they will undergo head MRI and CT scans, as well as micro-CT for better imaging resolution. In addition to imaging, an autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death. These examinations are free of charge, and an autopsy report will be provided to the owner once completed.
If you have questions about the study or wish to participate, please contact the responsible specialist in small animal diseases, Dr. Elina Rautala, or clinical instructor in neurology, Anna-Mariam Kiviranta.