Long‐term outcome of epileptic dogs treated with implantable vagus nerve stimulators
Abstract Background The long‐term effect of implantable vagus nerve stimulators (VNS) on seizures has not been evaluated in epileptic dogs. Objectives Report seizure frequency in medication‐resistant epileptic dogs before and after VNS implantation. Animals Twelve client‐owned dogs with idiopathic e...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.16908 |
| _version_ | 1797248079993241600 |
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| author | Thomas R. Harcourt‐Brown Michael Carter |
| author_facet | Thomas R. Harcourt‐Brown Michael Carter |
| author_sort | Thomas R. Harcourt‐Brown |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The long‐term effect of implantable vagus nerve stimulators (VNS) on seizures has not been evaluated in epileptic dogs. Objectives Report seizure frequency in medication‐resistant epileptic dogs before and after VNS implantation. Animals Twelve client‐owned dogs with idiopathic epilepsy and >1 seizure day per 3 weeks despite 3 months of appropriate use of 2 antiseizure medications and seizure diaries maintained 6 months before and >12 months after VNS implantation. Methods Uncontrolled, open‐label, before and after study. Mean monthly seizures and inter‐seizure periods obtained from contemporaneous seizure diaries in the 6 months before implantation were compared with 0 to 6 months, 7 to 12 months, and subsequent 12‐month periods after implantation. The number of dogs with >50% decrease in seizure frequency, >3 times increase in inter‐ictal period interval, and seizure freedom for >3 months at the time of death or last follow‐up were recorded. Results Five of 12 dogs were euthanized <12 months after implantation. All 7 remaining dogs showed >50% decrease in seizure frequency until last follow‐up, starting at a median of 37 to 48 months after implantation (range, 0‐6 to 61‐72 months) and a >3‐fold increase in mean inter‐seizure interval starting a median of 25 to 36 months after implantation (range, 0‐6 months to 49‐60 months), 3/7 dogs were seizure‐free at death or last follow‐up. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Monthly seizure frequencies decreased and inter‐seizure intervals increased in all dogs 2 to 3 years after VNS implantation, but a high proportion were euthanized before this time point. Prospective clinical trials are required to establish causality and the magnitude of this association. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T00:20:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7ba17b2ad7a9439ebcb69cc1d295fc01 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0891-6640 1939-1676 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T20:08:54Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-7ba17b2ad7a9439ebcb69cc1d295fc012024-03-23T17:56:17ZengWileyJournal of Veterinary Internal Medicine0891-66401939-16762023-11-013762102210810.1111/jvim.16908Long‐term outcome of epileptic dogs treated with implantable vagus nerve stimulatorsThomas R. Harcourt‐Brown0Michael Carter1Langford Vets University of Bristol School of Veterinary Sciences Bristol UKBristol Royal Hospital for Children University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust Bristol UKAbstract Background The long‐term effect of implantable vagus nerve stimulators (VNS) on seizures has not been evaluated in epileptic dogs. Objectives Report seizure frequency in medication‐resistant epileptic dogs before and after VNS implantation. Animals Twelve client‐owned dogs with idiopathic epilepsy and >1 seizure day per 3 weeks despite 3 months of appropriate use of 2 antiseizure medications and seizure diaries maintained 6 months before and >12 months after VNS implantation. Methods Uncontrolled, open‐label, before and after study. Mean monthly seizures and inter‐seizure periods obtained from contemporaneous seizure diaries in the 6 months before implantation were compared with 0 to 6 months, 7 to 12 months, and subsequent 12‐month periods after implantation. The number of dogs with >50% decrease in seizure frequency, >3 times increase in inter‐ictal period interval, and seizure freedom for >3 months at the time of death or last follow‐up were recorded. Results Five of 12 dogs were euthanized <12 months after implantation. All 7 remaining dogs showed >50% decrease in seizure frequency until last follow‐up, starting at a median of 37 to 48 months after implantation (range, 0‐6 to 61‐72 months) and a >3‐fold increase in mean inter‐seizure interval starting a median of 25 to 36 months after implantation (range, 0‐6 months to 49‐60 months), 3/7 dogs were seizure‐free at death or last follow‐up. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Monthly seizure frequencies decreased and inter‐seizure intervals increased in all dogs 2 to 3 years after VNS implantation, but a high proportion were euthanized before this time point. Prospective clinical trials are required to establish causality and the magnitude of this association.https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.16908dogepilepsyseizuresvagus nerve |
| spellingShingle | Thomas R. Harcourt‐Brown Michael Carter Long‐term outcome of epileptic dogs treated with implantable vagus nerve stimulators Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine dog epilepsy seizures vagus nerve |
| title | Long‐term outcome of epileptic dogs treated with implantable vagus nerve stimulators |
| title_full | Long‐term outcome of epileptic dogs treated with implantable vagus nerve stimulators |
| title_fullStr | Long‐term outcome of epileptic dogs treated with implantable vagus nerve stimulators |
| title_full_unstemmed | Long‐term outcome of epileptic dogs treated with implantable vagus nerve stimulators |
| title_short | Long‐term outcome of epileptic dogs treated with implantable vagus nerve stimulators |
| title_sort | long term outcome of epileptic dogs treated with implantable vagus nerve stimulators |
| topic | dog epilepsy seizures vagus nerve |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.16908 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT thomasrharcourtbrown longtermoutcomeofepilepticdogstreatedwithimplantablevagusnervestimulators AT michaelcarter longtermoutcomeofepilepticdogstreatedwithimplantablevagusnervestimulators |