Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
REM sleep disorder and seizures diagnosed in young dog
By Bush, William W et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2004·Veterinary Hospital, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Diagnosis of rapid eye movement sleep disorder with electroencephalography and treatment with tricyclic antidepressants in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 9-month-old female Labrador retriever mix was brought to the vet for two different types of seizure-like episodes, with one type happening only during sleep. Tests showed that the sleep episodes occurred during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, leading to a diagnosis of REM behavior disorder. The dog also had anxiety and obsessive-compulsive behaviors. After starting treatment with tricyclic antidepressants, both the sleep-related episodes and anxiety improved significantly.
People also search for: dog seizure during sleep · Labrador anxiety treatment · tricyclic antidepressants for dogs
Abstract
A 9-month-old, female Labrador retriever mix was presented for two types of seizure-like episodes, one of which occurred only during sleep. The two types of episodes were morphologically distinct. An electroencephalogram (EEG) demonstrated that the sleep-associated episodes occurred during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, supporting a diagnosis of a REM behavior disorder. Based on their morphology and response to antiseizure medications, the waking episodes were diagnosed as seizures. The animal was also diagnosed with an obsessive-compulsive and generalized anxiety disorder. The REM behavior disorder and anxiety-related behaviors improved with tricyclic antidepressant therapy.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15533971/