Periodic discharges in veterinary electroencephalography-A visual review

Marguerite F Knipe; William W Bush; Kristen E Thomas; D Colette Williams

doi:10.3389/fvets.2023.1037404

Periodic discharges in veterinary electroencephalography-A visual review

Front Vet Sci. 2023 Jan 26:10:1037404. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1037404. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Marguerite F Knipe¹, William W Bush², Kristen E Thomas², D Colette Williams³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.
² Bush Veterinary Neurology Service, Leesburg, VA, United States.
³ School of Veterinary Medicine, William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.

Abstract

First described in human EEG over 60 years ago, there are very few examples of periodic discharges in the veterinary literature. They are associated with a wide variety of etiologies, both intracranial and systemic, making interpretation challenging. Whether these patterns are indicative of ictal, interictal, or postictal activity is a matter of debate and may vary depending on the clinical features in an individual patient. Periodic discharges have a repeated waveform occurring at nearly regular intervals, with varying morphology of individual discharges from simple sharp waves or slow waves to more complex events. Amplitudes, frequencies, and morphologies of the discharges can fluctuate, occasionally evolving, or resolving over time. This study presents a visual review of several veterinary cases with periodic discharges on EEG similar to those described in human EEG, and discusses the current known pathophysiology of these discharges.

Keywords: EEG; canine; encephalopathy; epilepsy; feline; seizures; status epilepticus.

Publication types

Review