title: Canine and feline epileptic seizures and the lunar cycle: 2,507 seizures (2000-2008).
abstract: Epileptic seizures in 211 canine and feline patients diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy were evaluated for temporal significance in relation to the lunar cycle. Seizure counts were compared among each of the eight individual lunar phases, among each of eight exact lunar phase dates, and by percent of lunar illumination using generalized estimating equations. No statistical significance was found in any of these comparisons excluding a relationship between the onset of epileptic seizures and the phases of the moon. Alteration in anticonvulsant treatment or monitoring of canine and feline patients with idiopathic epilepsy at large was not warranted based on the lunar cycle.
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Neurological Center, Las Vegas, NV, USA.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Browand-Stainback
authors.forename: Donald
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Levesque
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McBee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002415:Cats; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D004285:Dogs; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D016081:Moon; D009505:Nevada / Q000453:epidemiology; D010507:Periodicity; D012189:Retrospective Studies