Diagnostic Utility of Wireless Video-Electroencephalography in Unsedated Dogs

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Neurology
• Epileptology
• Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

• Observer disagreement on seizure events necessitates advanced diagnostic tools like video-electroencephalography (video-EEG).
• This is particularly relevant in human pediatric cases but also applicable to veterinary medicine.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a novel wireless video-EEG technique in diagnosing seizures in unsedated dogs with unusual behavioral events.
• To determine if increased EEG recording length and higher event frequency are associated with successful seizure classification.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective case series involving 81 client-owned dogs with unusual behavioral events across four institutions.
• Analysis of wireless video-EEG recordings from unsedated dogs.

Main Results:

• Video-EEG achieved or excluded epilepsy diagnosis in 72% of dogs (58/81).
• Higher frequency of behavioral events significantly increased the odds of achieving a diagnosis (odds ratio 2.315).
• EEG recording length was not associated with diagnostic success.

Conclusions:

• Wireless video-EEG is a highly successful and reliable clinical tool for diagnosing seizures in unsedated dogs.
• This technique aids in investigating the epileptic origin of behavioral events in canine patients.