Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How cerebellar lesion location affects symptoms in dogs
By Villalonga, Luis et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2026·Neurology Service, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Correlation between cerebellar lesion topography and differential diagnosis with clinical presentation in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 102 dogs with cerebellar disease showed various neurological symptoms depending on the location of the brain lesions. Dogs with lesions in the front part of the cerebellum often had motor issues like unsteady movements, while those with lesions in the back part displayed abnormal behaviors. Lesions in the deep white matter were linked to symptoms like head tilt and balance problems. The study suggests that understanding where the lesions are can help veterinarians determine the underlying cause of the dog's symptoms, whether it's due to vascular issues, tumors, or infections.
People also search for: dog head tilt causes · dog balance problems treatment · dog abnormal behavior signs · cerebellar disease in dogs · dog neurological symptoms
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cerebellar diseases in dogs cause diverse neurologic signs depending on the affected region. Although functional topographic maps linking cerebellar areas to motor, behavioral, and vestibular functions have been established in humans, such mapping is poorly characterized in veterinary medicine. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: Evaluate how specific clinical signs in dogs correspond to cerebellar lesion locations and contribute to differential diagnoses. ANIMALS: One hundred two client-owned dogs from 4 referral centers in Spain and the United Kingdom. METHODS: Multicenter retrospective study including dogs diagnosed with cerebellar disease that underwent neurologic examination and magnetic resonance imaging of the head. RESULTS: Rostral cerebellar lobe lesions were significantly associated with motor abnormalities: the rostral culmen with cerebellar ataxia (OR, 5.76) and the lobulus centralis with decerebellate rigidity (OR, 5.68). Caudal lobe involvement (folium and tuber vermis) was linked to abnormal behavior (OR, 4.12). Deep white matter lesions involving the interpositus nucleus were associated with head tilt (OR, 6.48), nystagmus (OR, 3.76), vestibular ataxia (OR, 4.01), and delayed postural reactions (OR, 4.83).Vascular disease was significantly associated with brachycephalic breeds (P = .02), comorbidities (P < .001), non-ambulation (P = .01), and paresis (P = .01). Neoplasia was significantly linked to incoordination (P = .02), head tilt (P < .01), and abnormal behavior (P < .001). Inflammatory or infectious diseases commonly presented with pain (P = .02) and tremors (P < .001). CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Our findings suggest 3 region-related cerebellar syndromes in dogs, motor (rostral lobe), behavioral (caudal lobe), and vestibular (deep white matter), which parallel cerebellar syndromes described in humans. Additionally, the specific clinical presentation may indicate a particular differential diagnosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41742569/