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40万只狗会患上癫痫，导致身体衰弱。有限的诊断和治疗选择影响狗和照顾者的生活质量。诊断癫痫发作的唯一方法是脑电图（EEG），这是一种实时监测大脑功能的测试，但由于技术上的挑战，很少在兽医中使用。没有脑电图的替代品：发作的视频记录是不可靠的，先进的成像很少能识别异常。兽医脑电图的主要挑战是缺乏跨犬头形状范围的方法标准化。不存在的标准混淆了狗、诊所和综合症之间的脑电图比较。有必要建立可靠的电极位置，并尽量减少在非镇静记录期间混淆皮层信号的伪影。兽医脑电图还没有纳入可能区分生理伪影和真实大脑信号的动力学、心脏或呼吸率监测。我的长期研究目标是开发治疗犬癫痫的新方法，这代表了显著的社会经济效益，同时也为患者和护理人员带来了可观的回报。过去的工作阐明了犬脑电图协议中的几个技术要点，包括无线视频同步脑电图可以成功地记录未麻醉的狗。作为全球研究网络的一部分，我们在脑电图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脑电图的方法标准，以支持正在进行的治疗策略研究。资金将招募研究生和本科生学员开发电极放置网格(s)，以解释狗头形状的变化。利用档案医学扫描，我们将首先评估大范围狗头骨和大脑的形态学关系。了解这种可变性将有助于设计合适的网格。同时，我们将测试和开发将新型传感器纳入脑电图协议的程序。评估方法的改进是我的犬癫痫临床研究项目的基础科学支柱的一部分。我建立的培训计划为HQP提供了兽医临床科学方面的独特经验，开辟了多样化的职业道路。对高水平培训和平等机会的包容性承诺支持了我的项目。兽医神经电生理学方面的专业知识，特别是脑电图，是临床改进犬癫痫诊断和治疗的关键，也是了解其神经病理学和神经生物学的关键。国际合作对我的项目的研究成功起着重要的作用。犬脑电图临床现代化的建议将促进新的诊断和靶向治疗的进一步专业化研究。

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.