Neurology

What happens in the amygdala stays in the amygdala.

Crinkling paper. Clinking glasses. Even deaf cats with a newly defined epileptic syndrome can suffer neurologic effects when exposed to sounds such as these.

An overview of the conditions associated with auditory problems in foals and adult horses.

An overview of our current understanding of feline epilepsy, including diagnostic testing and treatment.Why they did itThere is a lack of scientific literature about epilepsy in cats, and much of the terminology as well as diagnostic and treatment recommendations have been extrapolated from experience with dogs and people. This article reviews the available literature and provides an overview of our current understanding of feline epilepsy, including diagnostic testing and treatment.Overview

This article details the clinical characteristics and prevalence of epilepsy of unknown cause in cats and how this information may be applied as part of the diagnostic process in the clinical setting.

This review studied the outcome of cats treated with either phenobarbital or a combination of other antiepileptic drugs with respect to the number of seizures per year and quality of life.

See when you should test for this disease in your patients with neuromuscular signs.

This study says the likely answer is "Yes."

Antiepileptic drug dosages have now been corrected.

Antiepileptic drug dosages are incorrect.

A study investigated the utility of this anticonvulsant.

Discover new strategies for instituting antiepileptic drug therapy.

Discover how to pinpoint the underlying cause of this condition and administer appropriate treatment.

Dr. Mark Epstein looks at what can result in this maladaptive pain state in veterinary patients.

When a cat experiences seizures that do not impact the entire body, this may indicate changes in the hippocampus of the cat's brain.

This typically human disorder may occur in dogs as well.

Early identification is key in this widespread neurologic disease.

Generally, the underlying causes of neurological abnormalities of the head and face are similar whichever nerve (or nucleus) is affected, but, in addition, there are a few conditions that are specific to, or more commonly affect, certain nerves.

The hallmark of CNS inflammation is infiltration of peripheral blood leukocytes into the neuroparenchyma and its coverings, resulting in various types of encephalitis and/or meningitis, and sometimes associated with altered vascular integrity that leads to edema.

Seizures are a common problem in veterinary medicine. Control of canine epilepsy is only possible in up to 70 80 % of cases on phenobarbitone (PB).

Status epilepticus is a danger to the patient and a treatment challenge for the clinician. Although no evidence exists to indicate that early initiation of appropriate treatment improves the outcome in dogs with seizures, such evidence does exist for human medicine and remains an important basic tenet of treatment.

The vestibular system is essential in maintaining balance and preventing the animal falling over by keeping and adapting the position of the eyes, head and body with respect to gravity.

The overall aim when approaching neurological problems is essentially the same as with any clinical problem.

A recent study sought to establish the incidence of and risk factors for seizures after myelography with iohexol in dogs.

From the 2011 ACVIM Forum: A new treatment for epileptic dogs?

The pathophysiological mechanisms that cause seizures are poorly understood. Neurons are excitable tissue constantly held in check. Neurons have a seizure threshold and seizures result when the threshold is lowered and there is imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms that favors excitation.

The brain is an extremely well vascularized organ and is supplied by approximately 15-20% of the total blood flow of the body. This high requirement for blood is necessitated by the brain's high metabolic activity and corresponding need for oxygen and glucose to fuel this activity.

A variety of clinical signs may be seen with inflammatory CNS disease, depending on what area of the nervous system is affected. Involvement of the forebrain (cerebral cortex and thalamus) may result in seizures, altered mentation (stupor, coma, delirium, head pressing), vision abnormalities, and compulsive pacing or circling. Involvement of the brainstem (pons and medulla oblongata) may result in altered mentation, cranial nerve deficits (e.g., vestibular dysfunction [head tilt, nystagmus], facial nerve paralysis, swallowing difficulties, tongue paralysis), ataxia, and proprioceptive deficits.

Neck and back pain are common presenting complaints in veterinary medicine and occur in animals with a variety of signalments. Animals may present with a chronic history of lower-grade discomfort, although acute presentations of moderate to severe pain are common and extremely distressing to owner and pet alike.

Acute paraplegia is a sudden onset of paralysis in the pelvic limbs, and is a common problem in small animal patients. Paraparesis is weakness in the pelvic limbs due to a neurologic cause, and can be quite variable in severity (ambulatory to non-ambulatory).