Juvenile idiopathic epilepsy in Egyptian Arabian foals: 22 cases (1985-2005).
Abstract: Epilepsy is relatively uncommon in horses compared with other species and limited information is available. Objective: The objectives of the study were to describe the age of onset, clinical signs, clinicopathologic data, electroeticephalographic findings, treatment, and outcome, including long-term prognosis in Arabian foals with idiopathic epilepsy. Methods: Twenty-two foals were included in the study. Methods: Medical records from 1985 to 2005 were reviewed. Results: The age of onset of affected foals ranged from 2 days to 6 months. Seizures were characterized by generalized tonic and clonic motor activity, staring, and loss of consciousness. The most common postictal signs were transient blindness and abnormal mental status. The interictal neurologic examination was otherwise normal. Clinicopathologic data and imaging diagnostics were normal except in 4 foals that developed complications. Electroencephalography revealed epileptiform activity in 9 of 13 foals. Foals were treated with benzodiazepines for the short-term; whereas phenobarbital was used over the long-term. Potassium bromide was added in 3 foals in which seizures were multiple, frequent, and difficult to control. The long-term prognosis was favorable with cessation of seizures by 1 year of age. The most common complication was head trauma. The most common concurrent disease was pneumonia. Conclusions: Juvenile idiopathic epilepsy of Egyptian Arabian foals has an early clinical onset but appears to be self-limiting. Information obtained from this study strongly suggests a heritable condition that merits further investigation.
Publication Date: 2006-12-26 PubMed ID: 17186863DOI: 10.1892/0891-6640(2006)20[1443:jieiea]2.0.co;2Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This research study focuses on the phenomenon of epilepsy in Arabian foals, a condition that is comparatively rare in horses, with the objective of understanding its onset, symptoms, diagnostic data, treatment, outcomes, and long-term prognosis.
Overview of the Study
- The study reviews medical records from 1985 to 2005, and includes 22 Arabian foals presumed to have idiopathic epilepsy, which is epilepsy with no discernible root cause.
- The age of onset for the foals studied varied from 2 days to 6 months.
Clinical Signs
- The seizures witnessed were characterized by general tonic and clonic motor activities, blank staring, and loss of consciousness.
- Most common postictal signs, symptoms observable after seizures, included momentary blindness and altered mental state. Interictal neurological examination was otherwise normal.
Diagnostic Findings
- Lab tests and imaging diagnostics were typically normal with exceptions in 4 foals that developed complications.
- Electroencephalograms (EEGs) were taken for 13 foals, 9 of which exhibited epileptiform activity.
Treatment Approach
- Benzodiazepines were used for the initial, short-term treatment.
- Long-term treatment was typically managed with phenobarbital.
- Potassium bromide was added for 3 foals experiencing multiple, frequent, and hard-to-control seizures.
Findings on Prognosis and Complications
- The long-term prognosis was generally good, with seizures stopping by 1 year of age.
- Head trauma was the most common complication, while pneumonia was the most common concurrent disease.
Conclusions
- The research concludes that juvenile idiopathic epilepsy in Arabian foals has an early onset, but seems self-limiting.
- The results gathered from the study indicate a hereditary condition and propose further investigation into the matter.
Cite This Article
APA
Aleman M, Gray LC, Williams DC, Holliday TA, Madigan JE, LeCouteur RA, Magdesian KG.
(2006).
Juvenile idiopathic epilepsy in Egyptian Arabian foals: 22 cases (1985-2005).
J Vet Intern Med, 20(6), 1443-1449.
https://doi.org/10.1892/0891-6640(2006)20[1443:jieiea]2.0.co;2 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA. mraleman@ucdavis.edu
MeSH Terms
- Age of Onset
- Animals
- Animals, Newborn
- Anticonvulsants / therapeutic use
- Electroencephalography / methods
- Electroencephalography / veterinary
- Epilepsy, Generalized / drug therapy
- Epilepsy, Generalized / genetics
- Epilepsy, Generalized / pathology
- Epilepsy, Generalized / veterinary
- Epilepsy, Tonic-Clonic / drug therapy
- Epilepsy, Tonic-Clonic / genetics
- Epilepsy, Tonic-Clonic / pathology
- Epilepsy, Tonic-Clonic / veterinary
- Female
- Genetic Predisposition to Disease
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
- Horse Diseases / genetics
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses
- Male
- Myoclonic Epilepsy, Juvenile / drug therapy
- Myoclonic Epilepsy, Juvenile / genetics
- Myoclonic Epilepsy, Juvenile / pathology
- Myoclonic Epilepsy, Juvenile / veterinary
- Pedigree
- Prognosis
- Retrospective Studies
- Treatment Outcome
Citations
This article has been cited 13 times.- Aleman M, Benini R, Elestwani S, Vinardell T. Juvenile idiopathic epilepsy in Egyptian Arabian foals, a potential animal model of self-limited epilepsy in children. J Vet Intern Med 2024 Jan-Feb;38(1):449-459.
- van der Vossen N, Cavalcante P, Glynn S, Achappa D, Mehmood W, Oikawa M, Vinardell T, Jamieson C. A case-control study of atypical guttural pouch empyema in Arabian foals. Vet Med Sci 2023 Jul;9(4):1599-1609.
- Williams DC, Haulena M, Dennison S, Waugh L, Goldstein T, Nutter F, Bonn BV, Hoard V, Laxer KD, Buckmaster PS, Gulland FMD, Tharp B. Pinniped electroencephalography: Methodology and findings in California sea lions (Zalophus californianus). Front Vet Sci 2023;10:1040125.
- Vinardell T, Elestwani S, Jamieson C, Karim E, Robin M, Glynn S, Benini R, Aleman M. Electroencephalographic evaluation under standing sedation using sublingual detomidine hydrochloride in Egyptian Arabian foals for investigation of epilepsy. J Vet Intern Med 2023 May-Jun;37(3):1209-1215.
- Polani S, Dean M, Lichter-Peled A, Hendrickson S, Tsang S, Fang X, Feng Y, Qiao W, Avni G, Kahila Bar-Gal G. Sequence Variant in the TRIM39-RPP21 Gene Readthrough is Shared Across a Cohort of Arabian Foals Diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Epilepsy. J Genet Mutat Disord 2022 Jan;1(1).
- Zanker A, Wöhr AC, Reese S, Erhard M. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of polysomnographic measurements in foals. Sci Rep 2021 Aug 11;11(1):16288.
- Mínguez JJ, El Bouyafrouri Y, Godoy JA, Rivas A, Fernández J, Asensio V, Serra R, Perez-Aspa MJ, Lorenzo V. Benign juvenile idiopathic epilepsy in captive Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) in the ex situ conservation program (2005-2019). BMC Vet Res 2021 Apr 15;17(1):165.
- Easton-Jones C, Woolard K, Mohr FC, Roy MA, Aleman M. Ganglioglioma of the Right Cerebrothalamus in a 7-Year-Old Quarter Horse Cross Gelding. Front Vet Sci 2019;6:356.
- Rivas VN, Aleman M, Peterson JA, Dahlgren AR, Hales EN, Finno CJ. TRIM39-RPP21 Variants (∆19InsCCC) Are Not Associated with Juvenile Idiopathic Epilepsy in Egyptian Arabian Horses. Genes (Basel) 2019 Oct 16;10(10).
- Lacombe VA. Seizures in horses: diagnosis and classification. Vet Med (Auckl) 2015;6:301-308.
- Aleman M, Costa LRR, Crowe C, Kass PH. Presumed Neuroglycopenia Caused by Severe Hypoglycemia in Horses. J Vet Intern Med 2018 Sep;32(5):1731-1739.
- Aleman M, Finno CJ, Weich K, Penedo MCT. Investigation of Known Genetic Mutations of Arabian Horses in Egyptian Arabian Foals with Juvenile Idiopathic Epilepsy. J Vet Intern Med 2018 Jan;32(1):465-468.
- Williams DC, Aleman MR, Brosnan RJ, Fletcher DJ, Holliday TA, Tharp B, Kass PH, Steffey EP, LeCouteur RA. Electroencephalogram of Healthy Horses During Inhaled Anesthesia. J Vet Intern Med 2016 Jan-Feb;30(1):304-8.
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