Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Heart rate and nerve activity changes in dogs with epilepsy between
By Musteata, M et al.·Published in Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)·2017·Department of Internal Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Interictal cardiac autonomic nervous system disturbances in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with idiopathic epilepsy (a type of epilepsy with no known cause) showed changes in their heart function even when they weren't having seizures. Researchers found that these dogs had increased heart rate variability, which indicates higher activity of the parasympathetic nervous system, a part of the autonomic nervous system that controls involuntary functions. This change could put them at risk for serious heart issues like arrhythmias. Interestingly, the epilepsy medication phenobarbitone did not seem to affect these heart changes. It's important for pet owners to be aware of these potential heart risks in dogs with epilepsy.
People also search for: dog epilepsy heart problems · idiopathic epilepsy in dogs · phenobarbitone side effects in dogs
Abstract
Autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity in the interictal period (InIp) in dogs with presumed idiopathic epilepsy (pIE) was assessed using heart rate variability (HRV) analysis. The HRVs obtained from 28 pIE dogs with interictal epileptic discharges (InIEd; 11 with treatment and 17 without treatment) detected on electroencephalography (EEG) were compared with those obtained from 13 healthy dogs. On electrocardiographic (ECG) study, the P wave dispersion (PWD; P<0.001), P max (P=0.004) and corrected QT interval (QTc; P=0.025) were significantly increased in the pIE group. On the basis of HRV analysis, the pIE dogs had an increased activity of the parasympathetic component of the ANS, including the percentage of R-R interval (pNN50%) that differs more than 50ms (P=0.011) and high frequency band (HF; P=0.041). Administration of phenobarbitone had no influence on the ANS pattern when pIE subgroups were compared (P>0.05). In InIp, dogs elicited specific conductibility delays of the electrical impulses (increased PWD and QTc interval); these delays are considered to be risk factors for developing severe arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia. When compared with human beings, a different ANS pattern characterised by increased parasympathetic activity was observed, which may influence the therapeutic approach of IE in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29153107/