Clinical characteristics and mode of inheritance of familial focal seizures in Standard Poodles.
OBJECTIVE
To determine clinical characteristics and mode of inheritance of seizures in a family of Standard Poodles.


METHODS
Case series.


METHODS
90 Standard Poodles descended from the same maternal bloodline (30 with probable idiopathic epilepsy [PIE] and 60 without any history of seizures).


METHODS
Researchers contacted owners to determine whether dogs had ever had any seizures and, if so, the nature of any such seizures and any potential underlying causes. Dogs were considered to have PIE if they were between 6 months and 7.5 years old at the time of seizure onset and had no evidence of any underlying cause. To determine the mode of inheritance, segregation analyses were designed to allow the family to be analyzed as a whole, as opposed to as nuclear families. Competing models of inheritance were compared statistically for their ability to explain the data.


RESULTS
Of the dogs with PIE, 28 (93%) had focal onset seizures with or without secondary generalization. Median age of onset was 3.7 years; 6 dogs were > 5 years old at the onset of seizures. Segregation analyses strongly suggested that PIE was inherited as a simple recessive autosomal trait with complete or almost complete penetrance.


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggested that in this family of Standard Poodles, PIE was inherited as a simple recessive autosomal trait with complete or almost complete penetrance. Seizures often had focal, as opposed to generalized, onsets, and it was not uncommon for seizures to begin after 5 years of age.
Licht
Barbara G
BG
Department of Psychology, Office of the Vice President for Research, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA.
Lin
Shili
S
Luo
Yuqun
Y
Hyson
Linda L
LL
Licht
Mark H
MH
Harper
Kathleen M
KM
Sullivan
Stacey A
SA
Fernandez
Soledad A
SA
Johnston
Eric V
EV
D000818:Animals; D001947:Breeding; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000235:genetics*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D005808:Genes, Recessive; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D008297:Male; D010375:Pedigree; D012640:Seizures / Q000235:genetics / Q000662:veterinary*