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Baka RD, Savvas I, Sarpekidou E, Kazakos G, Polizopoulou Z. Epidemiological Data, Clinical Signs, Therapy and Outcome Evaluation in Dogs with Syringomyelia of Different Etiology. Vet Sci 2025; 12:376. [PMID: 40284878 PMCID: PMC12031033 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci12040376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2025] [Revised: 04/11/2025] [Accepted: 04/16/2025] [Indexed: 04/29/2025] Open
Abstract
Syringomyelia detected in both animals and humans may cause a variable degree of discomfort and its etiology is commonly unidentified. The aim of this study was to compare the outcome in dogs with those having syringomyelia of different etiology. Dogs with syringomyelia were subdivided into two groups: syringomyelia associated with Chiari-like malformation (S-CLM) (15 dogs) and syringomyelia of other etiology (SOA) (15 dogs). Age onset of S-CLM clinical signs was earlier compared to SOA (mean S-CLM and SOA values: 50.53 and 97.6 months, respectively, p = 0.021). Two neurological dysfunction scoring systems alongside nociception values were lower in SOA compared to S-CLM (mean values for neurological dysfunction scoring system SOA and S-CLM: 5.87 and 4.2, respectively, p = 0.032) (mean values for nociception SOA and S-CLM: 20.97 and 10.03, respectively, p = 0.03). Symptomatic therapy included combinations of corticosteroids, gabapentin (10/15, 66.6%) in S-CLM and NSAID +/- gabapentin (8/15, 53.3% and 9/15, 60%, respectively) in SOA dogs. Eight S-CLM dogs (53.4%) improved with symptomatic therapy and eleven were still alive; however, most SOA dogs (9/15, 73.4%) died/were euthanized by the end of this study. SOA dogs demonstrated more severe neurological signs compared to S-CLM, although the outcome between the two groups was not associated (p = 0.211).
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Affiliation(s)
- Rania D. Baka
- Diagnostic Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, PC 54627 Thessaloniki, Greece;
- Companion Animals Clinic, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, PC 54627 Thessaloniki, Greece; (I.S.); (E.S.); (G.K.)
| | - Ioannis Savvas
- Companion Animals Clinic, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, PC 54627 Thessaloniki, Greece; (I.S.); (E.S.); (G.K.)
| | - Eirini Sarpekidou
- Companion Animals Clinic, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, PC 54627 Thessaloniki, Greece; (I.S.); (E.S.); (G.K.)
| | - George Kazakos
- Companion Animals Clinic, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, PC 54627 Thessaloniki, Greece; (I.S.); (E.S.); (G.K.)
| | - Zoe Polizopoulou
- Diagnostic Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, PC 54627 Thessaloniki, Greece;
- Companion Animals Clinic, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, PC 54627 Thessaloniki, Greece; (I.S.); (E.S.); (G.K.)
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Lewis MJ, Jeffery ND, Olby NJ. Ambulation in Dogs With Absent Pain Perception After Acute Thoracolumbar Spinal Cord Injury. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:560. [PMID: 33062648 PMCID: PMC7479830 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute thoracolumbar spinal cord injury (SCI) is common in dogs frequently secondary to intervertebral disc herniation. Following severe injury, some dogs never regain sensory function to the pelvic limbs or tail and are designated chronically "deep pain negative." Despite this, a subset of these dogs develop spontaneous motor recovery over time including some that recover sufficient function in their pelvic limbs to walk independently without assistance or weight support. This type of ambulation is commonly known as "spinal walking" and can take up to a year or more to develop. This review provides a comparative overview of locomotion and explores the physiology of locomotor recovery after severe SCI in dogs. We discuss the mechanisms by which post-injury plasticity and coordination between circuitry contained within the spinal cord, peripheral sensory feedback, and residual or recovered supraspinal connections might combine to underpin spinal walking. The clinical characteristics of spinal walking are outlined including what is known about the role of patient or injury features such as lesion location, timeframe post-injury, body size, and spasticity. The relationship between the emergence of spinal walking and electrodiagnostic and magnetic resonance imaging findings are also discussed. Finally, we review possible ways to predict or facilitate recovery of walking in chronically deep pain negative dogs. Improved understanding of the mechanisms of gait generation and plasticity of the surviving tissue after injury might pave the way for further treatment options and enhanced outcomes in severely injured dogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa J Lewis
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Nick D Jeffery
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Texas a & M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Natasha J Olby
- Department of Clinical Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
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Abstract
Severe spinal cord injury (SCI) causing significant morbidity and mortality remains one of the most challenging problems in both human and veterinary medicine. Due to the restricted regeneration potential of the central nervous system (CNS) in mammals, the neurological deficit caused by spinal cord (SC) injury is permanent, and no therapeutic measures are able to completely restore neurological functions either in primates or in non-primate animals with traumatic tetraparesis/tetraplegia or paraparesis/paraplegia. The constant progress in the understanding of pathophysiologic events developing after spinal cord trauma constitute an unremitting inspiration for neuroscientists and health care professionals to test novel medicaments and treatment strategies to cope with this situation. Recent experimental studies and preclinical trials have delivered promising results. The aim of this review is a presentation of generally accepted methods of management of dogs with SCI as well as a report on new therapeutic modalities, and comment on their potential for clinical translation. The research strategy involved a search of PubMed, Medline, and ISI Web of Science from January 2010 to December 2018 using the terms “spinal cord injuryˮ and “management of spinal traumaˮ in the English language literature. References from selected papers were also scanned and evaluated for relevance.
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Lewis MJ, Laber E, Olby NJ. Predictors of Response to 4-Aminopyridine in Chronic Canine Spinal Cord Injury. J Neurotrauma 2018; 36:1428-1434. [PMID: 30235970 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2018.5975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
4-Aminopyridine (4AP), a potassium channel antagonist, can improve hindlimb motor function in dogs with chronic thoracolumbar spinal cord injury (SCI); however, individual response is variable. We hypothesized that injury characteristics would differ between dogs that do and do not respond to 4AP. Our objective was to compare clinical, electrodiagnostic, gait, and imaging variables between dogs that do and do not respond to 4AP, to identify predictors of response. Thirty-four dogs with permanent deficits after acute thoracolumbar SCI were enrolled. Spasticity, motor and sensory evoked potentials (MEPs, SEPs), H-reflex, F-waves, gait scores, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) were evaluated at baseline and after 4AP administration. Baseline variables were assessed as predictors of response; response was defined as ≥1 point change in open field gait score. Variables were compared pre- and post-4AP to evaluate 4AP effects. Fifteen of 33 (45%) dogs were responders, 18/33 (55%) were non-responders and 1 was eliminated because of an adverse event. Pre-H-reflex threshold <1.2 mA predicted non-response; pre-H-reflex threshold >1.2 mA and Canine Spasticity Scale overall score <7 were predictive of response. All responders had translesional connections on DTI. MEPs were more common post-4AP than pre-4AP (10 vs. 6 dogs) and 4AP decreased H-reflex threshold and increased spasticity in responders. 4-AP impacts central conduction and motor neuron pool excitability in dogs with chronic SCI. Severity of spasticity and H-reflex threshold might allow prediction of response. Further exploration of electrodiagnostic and imaging characteristics might elucidate additional factors contributing to response or non-response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa J Lewis
- 1 Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
| | - Eric Laber
- 2 Department of Statistics, College of Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
| | - Natasha J Olby
- 3 Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, and North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.,4 Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
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