Optimizing electroencephalography for diagnosis and management of epilepsy and other neurological conditions in dogs

大约一半的加拿大家庭至少有一只狗，最新的狗数量估计为820万只。超过40万只狗将患上癫痫，并导致身体虚弱。有限的诊断和治疗选择影响了狗和照顾者的生活质量。诊断癫痫发作的唯一方法是脑电(EEG)，这是一种实时监测大脑功能的测试，但由于技术挑战，很少在兽医中使用。没有脑电的替代品：发作的视频记录不可靠，先进的成像很少发现异常。兽医脑电的主要挑战是缺乏一系列狗头形状的方法学标准化。不存在的标准混淆了狗、诊所和综合征之间的脑电比较。需要建立可靠的电极位置并最大限度地减少在未使用镇静剂的记录期间干扰皮质信号的伪影。兽医EEG还没有纳入动态、心脏或呼吸频率监测器，这些监测器可能会区分生理伪迹和真实的大脑信号。我的长期研究目标是开发治疗犬类癫痫的新方法，这代表着重大的社会经济效益，同时也为患者和照顾者带来了巨大的红利。过去的工作澄清了犬EEG协议中的几个技术要点，包括无线视频同步EEG可以成功地记录下未服用镇静剂的狗。作为全球研究网络的一部分，我们在脑电技术方面的改进有助于识别犬癫痫综合征的基因突变。在这项工作的基础上，我们的短期目标是进一步完善犬EEG的方法学标准，以支持正在进行的治疗策略研究。基金将招募研究生和本科生来开发电极放置网格(S)，以解决狗头形状的变化。使用档案医学扫描，我们将首先评估广泛的狗头骨和大脑的形态关系。了解这种可变性将使设计合适的网格成为可能(S)。同时，我们将测试和开发将新型传感器纳入脑电协议的程序。评估方法的改进构成了我的犬癫痫临床研究计划的基础科学支柱的一部分。我已建立的培训计划为HQP提供了独特的兽医临床科学经验，开辟了多样化的职业道路。对高素质培训和平等机会的包容性承诺支持我的计划。兽医神经电生理学，特别是脑电生理学的专业知识，对于改善犬癫痫的临床诊断和治疗，以及了解其神经病理学和神经生物学是关键。国际合作对我的项目的研究成功起到了重要作用。这项使临床犬EEG现代化的提议将促进对新诊断和靶向治疗的进一步专门研究。

About half of Canadian households have at least one dog, with latest dog numbers estimated at 8.2 million. Over 400,000 dogs will develop epilepsy with debilitating implications. Limited diagnostic and therapeutic options affect quality of life for both dogs and caregivers. The only way to diagnose seizures is with electroencephalography (EEG), a test that monitors brain function in real-time, but rarely used in veterinary medicine due to technical challenges. There are no EEG substitutes: video recordings of episodes are unreliable and advanced imaging rarely identifies abnormalities. Veterinary EEG's main challenge is lack of methodological standardization across the range of dog head shapes. Nonexistent standards confound comparison of EEG between dogs, clinics, and syndromes. There is a need to establish reliable electrode locations and minimize artifacts that confound the cortical signal during unsedated recording. Veterinary EEG does not yet incorporate kinetic, heart or respiration rate monitors that might differentiate between physiological artifacts and true brain signals. My long-term research goal of developing new approaches to canine epilepsy represents a significant socioeconomic benefit while paying substantial dividends to patients and caregivers. Past work clarified several technical points in the canine EEG protocol, including that wireless video-synchronized EEG can successfully record unsedated dogs. Part of a global research network, our improvements in EEG technique aided the identification of a genetic mutation in a canine epilepsy syndrome. Building on this work, our short-term goal is to further refine methodological standards for canine EEG to support ongoing research into therapeutic strategies. Funding will recruit graduate and undergraduate trainees to develop electrode placement grid(s) that account for dog head shape variation. Using archival medical scans, we will first evaluate the morphologic relationships across a wide range of dog skulls and brains. Understanding this variability will enable the design of suitable grid(s). Concurrently, we will test and develop procedures for incorporating novel sensors into the EEG protocol. Assessing methodological refinements forms part of a basic science pillar of my canine epilepsy clinical research program. My established training program offers HQP unique experience in veterinary clinical science, opening diverse career pathways. An inclusive commitment to high calibre training and equal opportunities supports my program. Expertise in veterinary neuroelectrophysiology, particularly EEG, is key to clinical improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of canine epilepsy and the understanding of its neuropathology and neurobiology. International collaboration plays a significant role in my program's research success. This proposal to modernize clinical canine EEG will promote further specialized investigation of novel diagnostics and targeted therapies.