Epilepsy Research Initiative

|What is Epilepsy?| Research | Publications from CHF-Funded Studies | Educational Resources | Sponsors of the Epilepsy Initiative |

What is Epilepsy? 

Epilepsy is the most common medical neurological disorder in dogs. The term epilepsy refers to recurrent seizures resulting from an abnormality in brain function. The condition can be inherited (genetic epilepsy), caused by structural problems in the brain (symptomatic epilepsy), or may be of unknown cause (idiopathic epilepsy). Determination of the appropriate treatment for canine epilepsy, as well as prognosis for the condition, depends on accurate diagnosis of the type and cause of seizures.  

Research 

02566-Genetics of Idiopathic Epilepsy in Labrador Retrievers
Principal Investigator: Hanes Lohi, PhD; The Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics;
Total Grant Amount:  $108,000; Grant Period:  05/1/2019 - 04/30/2021

02561-Is gut dysbiosis associated with canine idiopathic epilepsy?
Principal Investigator: Karen R. Muñana, DVM; North Carolina State University;
Total Grant Amount:  $104,453; Grant Period:  02/1/2019 - 01/31/2022

2323-Efficacy of Cannabidiol (CBD) for the Treatment of Canine Epilepsy
Principal Investigator: Stephanie McGrath, DVM, MS; Colorado State University;
Total Grant Amount:  $356,022; Grant Period:  10/1/2017 - 11/30/2020

02248:  Identification of a Novel Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy Gene and Its Underlying Disease Mechanism
Principal Investigator: Hannes T Lohi, PhD; University of Helsinki and the Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics
Total Grant Amount:  $82,240; Grant Period:  5/1/2016 - 10/31/2017
Read Dr. Lohi's epilepsy research publications >>> 2017a, 2017b, 2018

How a Gene Defect in Dogs Could Help Treat Epilepsy in Humans

02249-A:  Studying the Role of the Gastrointestinal Tract in Canine Epilepsy
Principal Investigator: Karen R. Munana, DVM; North Carolina State University
Total Grant Amount:  $14,995; Grant Period:  6/1/2016 - 2/28/2018

02252:  Investigating a Ketogenic Medium-Chain Triglyceride (MCT) Supplement for the Treatment of Drug-Resistant Canine Idiopathic Epilepsy and Its Behavioral Comorbidities
Principal Investigator: Holger Andreas Volk, DVM, PhD; Royal Veterinary College, University of London
Total Grant Amount:  $107,697; Grant Period:  5/1/2016 - 9/30/2019
Read Dr. Volk's Research Publications >>> 2017, 2018, 2019

02257:  Identification of Genetic Risk Factors for Canine Epilepsy
Principal Investigator: Gary S. Johnson, DVM PhD; University of Missouri, Columbia
Total Grant Amount:  $112,781; Grant Period:  5/1/2016 - 12/31/2018
Read Dr. Johnson's Research Publications >>> 2017a, 2017b, 2019

02131:  Neurostimulation: A Groundbreaking New Treatment for Canine Epilepsy
Principal Investigator: Sam Nicholas Long, BVSc, PhD; The University of Melbourne
Total Grant Amount:  $116,000; Grant Period:  10/1/2014 - 6/30/2017
Read Dr. Long's Research Publications >>> 2013, 2016

02133:  Canine Epilepsy: Genetic Variants, Biomarkers, and New Therapies
Principal Investigator: Ned E. Patterson, DVM PhD; University of Minnesota
Total Grant Amount:  $104,781; Grant Period:  10/1/2014 - 3/31/2017
Read Dr. Patterson's research publication >>> 2016

Read about the other epilepsy grants funded by CHF.

The life-altering nature of epilepsy is of foremost concern to the AKC Canine Health Foundation and requires a major research effort. With your support, we can make a significant investment and make real progress in the fight against epilepsy.

Publications from CHF-Funded Studies:

• Watson, F., Packer, R. M. A., Rusbridge, C., & Volk, H. A. (2019). Behavioural changes in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy. Veterinary Record, vetrec-2018-105222. https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.105222
• Hartsel, J. A., Boyar, K., Pham, A., Silver, R. J., & Makriyannis, A. (2019). Cannabis in Veterinary Medicine: Cannabinoid Therapies for Animals: Clinical Efficacy of CBD for Treating Osteoarthritis and Refractory Epilepsy in the Dog: A Pilot Study. In R. C. Gupta, A. Srivastava, & R. Lall (Eds.), Nutraceuticals in Veterinary Medicine (pp. 121–155). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-04624-8_10">https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-04624-8_10
• Berk, B. A., Packer, R. M. A., Law, T. H., Wessmann, A., Bathen-Nöthen, A., Jokinen, T. S., … Volk, H. A. (2019). A double-blinded randomised dietary supplement crossover trial design to investigate the short-term influence of medium chain fatty acid (MCT) supplement on canine idiopathic epilepsy: study protocol. BMC Veterinary Research, 15(1), 181.
• Villani, N. A., Bullock, G., Michaels, J. R., Yamato, O., O’Brien, D. P., Mhlanga-Mutangadura, T., … Katz, M. L. (2019). A mixed breed dog with neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis is homozygous for a CLN5 nonsense mutation previously identified in Border Collies and Australian Cattle Dogs. Molecular Genetics and Metabolism.
• Berk, B. A., Packer, R. M. A., Law, T. H., & Volk, H. A. (2018). Investigating owner use of dietary supplements in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy. Res Vet Sci, 119, 276–284. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.RVSC.2018.07.004
• Wielaender, F., James, F. M. K., Cortez, M. A., Kluger, G., Neßler, J. N., Tipold, A., … Fischer, A. (2018). Absence Seizures as a Feature of Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy in Rhodesian Ridgeback Dogs. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 32(1), 428–432.
• James, F. M. K., Cortez, M. A., Monteith, G., Jokinen, T. S., Sanders, S., Wielaender, F., … Lohi, H. (2017). Diagnostic Utility of Wireless Video-Electroencephalography in Unsedated Dogs. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 31(5), 1469–1476.  
• Kolicheski, A., Barnes Heller, H. L., Arnold, S., Schnabel, R. D., Taylor, J. F., Knox, C. A., … Katz, M. L. (2017). Homozygous PPT1 Splice Donor Mutation in a Cane Corso Dog With Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 31(1), 149–157. 
• Kolicheski, A., Johnson, G. S., Villani, N. A., O’Brien, D. P., Mhlanga-Mutangadura, T., Wenger, D. A., … Katz, M. L. (2017). GM2 Gangliosidosis in Shiba Inu Dogs with an In-Frame Deletion in HEXB. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 31(5), 1520–1526.
• Koskinen, L. L., Seppälä, E. H., Weissl, J., Jokinen, T. S., Viitmaa, R., Hänninen, R. L., ... & Lohi, H. (2017). ADAM23 is a common risk gene for canine idiopathic epilepsy. BMC Genetics, 18(1), 8.
• Packer, R. M. A., Volk, H. A., & Fowkes, R. C. (2017). Physiological reactivity to spontaneously occurring seizure activity in dogs with epilepsy and their carers. Physiology & Behavior, 177, 27–33.
• Wielaender, F., Sarviaho, R., James, F., Hytönen, M. K., Cortez, M. A., Kluger, G., ... & Tipold, A. (2017). Generalized myoclonic epilepsy with photosensitivity in juvenile dogs caused by a defective DIRAS family GTPase 1. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 201614478
• Milne, M. E., Steward, C., Firestone, S. M., Long, S. N., O’Brien, T. J., & Moffat, B. A. (2016). Development of representative magnetic resonance imaging–based atlases of the canine brain and evaluation of three methods for atlas-based segmentation. American Journal of Veterinary Research, 77(4), 395–403.
• Vuu, I., Coles, L. D., Maglalang, P., Leppik, I. E., Worrell, G., Crepeau, D., ... & Patterson, E. E. (2016). Intravenous Topiramate: Pharmacokinetics in Dogs with naturally Occurring epilepsy. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 3.
• Koskinen, L. L., Seppälä, E. H., Belanger, J. M., Arumilli, M., Hakosalo, O., Jokinen, P., ... & Lohi, H. (2015). Identification of a common risk haplotype for canine idiopathic epilepsy in the ADAM23 gene. BMC Genomics, 16(1), 465.
• Milne, M. E., Anderson, G. A., Chow, K. E., O’Brien, T. J., Moffat, B. A., & Long, S. N. (2013). Description of technique and lower reference limit for magnetic resonance imaging of hippocampal volumetry in dogs. American Journal of Veterinary Research, 74(2), 224–231.
• Boothe, D. M., Dewey, C., & Carpenter, D. M. (2012). Comparison of phenobarbital with bromide as a first-choice antiepileptic drug for treatment of epilepsy in dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 240(9), 1073-1083.
• Hardy, B. T., Patterson, E. E., Cloyd, J. M., Hardy, R. M., & Leppik, I. E. (2012). Double‐Masked, Placebo‐Controlled Study of Intravenous Levetiracetam for the Treatment of Status Epilepticus and Acute Repetitive Seizures in Dogs. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 26(2), 334-340.
• Seppälä, E. H., Koskinen, L. L., Gulløv, C. H., Jokinen, P., Karlskov-Mortensen, P., Bergamasco, L., ... & Fredholm, M. (2012). Identification of a novel idiopathic epilepsy locus in Belgian Shepherd dogs. PloS One, 7(3), e33549.
• Ekenstedt, K. J., Patterson, E. E., Minor, K. M., & Mickelson, J. R. (2011). Candidate genes for idiopathic epilepsy in four dog breeds. BMC Genetics, 12(1), 38.
• Dewey, C. W., Cerda-Gonzalez, S., Levine, J. M., Badgley, B. L., Ducoté, J. M., Silver, G. M., ... & Lavely, J. A. (2009). Pregabalin as an adjunct to phenobarbital, potassium bromide, or a combination of phenobarbital and potassium bromide for treatment of dogs with suspected idiopathic epilepsy. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 235(12), 1442-1449.
• Kennerly, E. M., Idaghdour, Y., Olby, N. J., Munana, K. R., & Gibson, G. (2009). Pharmacogenetic association study of 30 genes with phenobarbital drug response in epileptic dogs. Pharmacogenetics and Genomics, 19(12), 911-922.
• Leppik, I. E., Patterson, E., Hardy, B., & Cloyd, J. C. (2009). Canine status epilepticus: Proof of principle studies. Epilepsia, 50(s12), 14-15.
• Licht, B. G., Lin, S., Luo, Y., Hyson, L. L., Licht, M. H., Harper, K. M., ... & Johnston, E. V. (2007). Clinical characteristics and mode of inheritance of familial focal seizures in Standard Poodles. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 231(10), 1520-1528.

Educational Resources 

Labrador Retrievers May Benefit from Epilepsy Research to Identify Genetic Risk Factors

Read Purina's Labrador Retriever fall update focusing on epilepsy research here.

AKCtv's Ask the Expert: Epilepsy and Tick-borne Disease

Dr. Diane Brown, DVM, PhD, DACVP, discusses the AKC Canine Health Foundation's Epilepsy Research Initiative on AKCtv's Ask the Expert: Epilepsy and Tick-borne Disease.

CHF Research Examines Neurological Diseases - Pure Dog Talk

Dr. Diane Brown, CHF CEO, spoke with Pure Dog Talk in 2018 about canine epilepsy and the multifaceted research approach being taken to address this common malady in dogs through the AKC Canine Health Foundation’s Epilepsy Research Initiative.
Listen to the podcast

What's Feeding Those Seizures? An Update on Refractory Canine Epilepsy and the Potential Link to Gastrointestinal Health
Speaker: Karen R. Muñana, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Neurology)
Watch this exciting webinar on demand! (Link will take you to the VetVine website, CHF’s partner in our webinar series.)
This webinar, like others in the series, is approved for up to 1 hour of CE credit for veterinarians and veterinary technicians. This approval is valid in jurisdictions which recognize AAVSB RACE; however, participants are responsible for ascertaining each board's CE requirements.

Read our peer reviewed Epilepsy whitepaper and sign up to download a free seizure diary.

Seizure information from the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine

Epilepsy research recently funded by the AKC Canine Health Foundation

EPIL-K9 All Breed Canine Epilepsy List (online discussion group)

Thank You to the Sponsors of the Epilepsy Initiative

Champion Sponsors ($50,000+):

Sponsors ($2,500+):