Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cognitive decline and survival in dogs over 8 years
By Schütt, T et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2015·Department of Veterinary Clinical and Animal Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Cognitive Function, Progression of Age-related Behavioral Changes, Biomarkers, and Survival in Dogs More Than 8 Years Old.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 51 dogs over 8 years old was studied to understand cognitive dysfunction, which can cause symptoms like aimless wandering, staring into space, avoiding petting, difficulty finding food, and anxiety. Over the study period, some dogs with normal cognitive function developed mild impairments, and others with mild impairments progressed to more severe cognitive dysfunction. Interestingly, having cognitive dysfunction did not affect the dogs' survival rates. Researchers found that a specific protein in the blood, called plasma Aβ42, was higher in dogs with cognitive dysfunction, suggesting it could be a useful marker for this condition.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD) is an age-dependent neurodegenerative condition dominated by changes in behavioral patterns. Cohort studies investigating cognitive status in dogs are lacking. OBJECTIVES: To investigate cognitive function, progression of age-related behavioral changes, survival, and possible biomarkers of CCD in aged dogs. ANIMALS: Fifty-one dogs >8 years old; 21 with no cognitive deficits, 17 with mild cognitive impairments (MCI) and 13 with CCD. METHODS: Longitudinal study. Recruitment period of 12 months and an observational period of 24 months including a baseline and 3 planned subsequent assessments. Cognitive status was determined using validated questionnaires. Plasma Aβ-peptides were quantified using commercial ELISA assays and cytokines by a validated immunoassay. RESULTS: Signs characterizing dogs with CCD were aimless wandering, staring into space, avoid getting patted, difficulty finding dropped food and anxiety. Thirty-three percent of dogs with a normal cognitive status progressed to MCI and 22% classified as MCI progressed to CCD during the study period. For 6 dogs diagnosed with CCD, signs of cognitive dysfunction increased with time. A diagnosis of CCD did not affect survival. The level of plasma Aβ42 was significantly increased (P < .05) in the CCD group (92.8 ± 24.0 pg/mL) compared to the MCI (77.0 ± 12.3 pg/mL) and normal group (74.9 ± 10.0 pg/mL), but no significant differences in concentrations of systemic inflammatory markers were detected. CONCLUSIONS: Canine cognitive dysfunction is a progressive disorder with an individual variability in the rate of cognitive decline and clinical signs. Plasma Aβ42 seems to be an interesting plasma biomarker of CCD.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26463980/