Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Late-onset head twitching epilepsy in older cats explained
By Liatis, Theofanis et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2025·Department of Clinical Science and Services, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Spontaneous late-onset myoclonic epilepsy in cats: 15 cases (2015-2023).
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of older cats, averaging 13 years old, were brought in for sudden head jerking movements, known as myoclonus, which were not triggered by sound. These cats, mostly domestic shorthairs, experienced episodes that became more frequent over time, with some also having full-body seizures. After thorough examinations, they were diagnosed with spontaneous late-onset myoclonic epilepsy. Treatment with the medication levetiracetam led to significant improvement in their symptoms, with many cats showing a reduction in the frequency of their head jerking within a few months.
People also search for: cat head jerking treatment · older cat seizures · levetiracetam for cats · myoclonic epilepsy in cats · why is my cat shaking its head
Abstract
ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to describe spontaneous late-onset myoclonic epilepsy (SLOME) in older cats.MethodsA retrospective, two-centre study was conducted on cats diagnosed with spontaneous (non-audiogenic) head myoclonus between 2015 and 2023.ResultsA total of 15 cats were included. Breeds included domestic shorthair (11/15, 73%) and one each (7%) of domestic longhair, Somali, Burmese and Russian Blue. Of the 15 cats, eight (53%) were castrated males and seven (47%) were spayed females. All cats were older, with a median age at presentation of 13.2 years (range 8.9-17). The median duration between the first episode and presentation was 5.5 months (range 1-24). All cats (15/15, 100%) presented with spontaneous, non-audiogenic myoclonus of the head, some of which had additional thoracic limb (3/15, 20%) or full body (1/15, 7%) involvement. Myoclonus frequency was progressive, with multiple daily or weekly episodes in half of the population (7/15, 47%). Two cats (2/15, 13%) had concurrent generalised tonic-clonic seizures. Eight cats (53%) had advanced imaging that was normal in all but three (37%) cats with concurrent brain atrophy, otitis media/externa and a pituitary mass. A diagnosis of SLOME was made in all cats. Levetiracetam (7/15, 47%) and phenobarbital (1/15, 7%) were administered, and all cats had a positive response, displaying either resolution or significant reduction in frequency of the myoclonus at a median follow-up time of 128 days (range 30-300).Conclusions and relevanceSLOME is a novel epileptic seizure phenotype prevalent in older cats, unrelated to audiogenic triggers, and occasionally accompanied by generalised tonic-clonic seizures. Levetiracetam could result in dramatic improvement.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40847614/