All Neuro Flashcards
What are two methods to test the cutaneous trunci reflex in cats?
(Pinching as you do in dogs or plucking their fur)
How can you make a menace response test more accurate in cats?
(Coming from behind, cats typically do not find humans as menacing as dogs do some coming from the front can be difficult to make work)
Feline hyperesthesia syndrome is a young/middle/old age disease (choose).
(Young)
What is the typical treatment for feline hyperesthesia syndrome that works for most cats (~⅔ of patients)?
(Gabapentin)
Is idiopathic epilepsy typical of cats less than or greater than seven years of age?
(Less than)
When do idiopathic epilepsy episodes tend to occur in cats?
(When they are resting)
What is a common presentation of idiopathic epilepsy episodes in cats?
(Rapid running)
What are the two medications often used to treat idiopathic epilepsy in cats?
(Phenobarbital and levetiracetam/keppra)
Of the commonly used medications to treat seizures, which two should never be used in cats due to adverse side effects?
(Potassium bromide → causes fatal eosinophilic pneumonitis and diazepam → causes liver failure)
Idiopathic epilepsy in cats has a poorer prognosis as the age of diagnosis gets younger/older (choose).
(Older)
What general pathology is indicated if a cat you put on phenobarbital has an elevated ALP on repeat bloodwork?
(They have underlying liver disease, unlike dogs, you should not expect cats’ ALP to rise once placed on phenobarbital unless they have existing liver disease)
You are seeing a cat that has a history of seizures for unilateral swollen lymph nodes, what question do you need to ask this client?
(What medication are the seizures being controlled with, if it is phenobarbital, switch to keppra and see if it was pseudolymphoma or not)
What species of cats is over represented in audiogenic reflex seizures?
(Birmans)
What is the treatment of choice for audiogenic reflex seizures in cats?
(Keppra, has a better response rate than phenobarbital)
How is hippocampal necrosis diagnosed in cats?
(MRI only, contrast enhancement at the site of the hippocampus)
What two clinical signs are associated with hippocampal necrosis aka feline temporal lobe epilepsy?
(Focal facial seizures and episodic aggression)
What two categories of medications are used for treatment of hippocampal necrosis in cats?
(Antiepileptics (phenobarbital, keppra, combo) and immunosuppressives (prednisolone) → bc there is some thought this dz is immune mediated since some of the cats develop autoantibodies to voltage-gated potassium channel-complexes)
What is the most common cause of infectious brain and/or spinal disease in cats?
(Feline infectious peritonitis)
Neurological signs typically result when a cat has the wet/dry (choose) form of feline infectious peritonitis.
(Dry → cat won’t have a lot of the other signs associated with FIP)
What do you see on MRI of cats with FIP?
(Obstructive hydrocephalus (dilated ventricles) and post contrast periventricular enhancement → only other differential if you saw this on MRI could be lymphoma)
Of the lesions caused by toxoplasmosis (there are three), which cause seizures, vestibular dz, cerebellar dz, and/or result in obtunded cats?
(Encephalitis or granuloma lesions in the brain)
Of the lesions caused by toxoplasmosis (there are three), which causes proprioceptive ataxia, weakness, and incontinence?
(Segmental myelitis)
What is the treatment protocol for a cat with toxoplasmosis?
(Clindamycin, add in trimethoprim sulphonamide plus folic acid if clinda alone not working)
How is toxoplasmosis tested for?
(Serology and/or PCR)
How is cryptococcosis treated in cats?
(Fluconazole often tx for life and prednisolone, if refractory → amphotericin B (nephrotoxic) and flucytosine)
FIV is a neurotropic virus that can get into the brain and cause encephalitis (CNS changes are reported in a small percentage of cases), what are the common resultant histological findings?
(Perivascular cuffing and glial nodules)
(T/F) Cerebellar hypoplasia due to feline panleukopenia virus is non-progressive and is not associated with inflammatory changes within the brain.
(T, joaquin phoenix would turn a thumb up for these kitties aka don’t euthanize them)
Feline ischemic encephalopathy is thought to be a result of migration of what organism through the brain?
(Cuterebra)
What is the singular artery that supplies the brain in cats?
(Mandibular artery)
What results from impingement of the mandibular artery in cats for a length of time, such as in a dental procedure?
(Global cerebral ischemia)
What is the most common cause of cervical ventroflexion in cats?
(Hypokalemia, often secondary to CKD)
Thiamine or B1 is a water soluble vitamin needed for the metabolism of what primary nutrition?
(Carbohydrates, if you don’t have carbs you get weakness, this can be an early sign of thiamine deficiency and the prognosis can be good if caught early/prior to brain damage)
Why should you check a thoracic radiograph on a cat you suspect has myasthenia gravis?
(Myasthenia gravis is often linked with thymomas in cats, check for a mediastinal mass)
What neoplasia accounts for ~ 60% of primary brain tumors and 40% of all brain tumors in cats?
(Meningiomas)
What is the treatment for meningiomas in cats?
(Craniotomy, MST is 37 months, can be repeated)
What is the most common neoplasm affecting the spinal cord in cats?
(Lymphosarcoma)
Changes in sensation and behavior often proceed the ictus stage of seizures, what are the two stages that occur prior to ictus?
(Prodromal and aura)
How can you distinguish between narcolepsy and absent seizures?
(An EEG/encephalogram, will have epileptiform EEG with absent seizures whereas the EEG will show similar waves as REM sleep in narcoleptic patients)
What protein is either not available or not able to do its job in patients with narcolepsy?
(Orexin → can be a genetic mutation of a gene resulting in abnormal receptors or just a general deficiency in older animals)
What is the term for the collapsing events/paroxysms associated with narcoleptic patients?
(Cataplexy → sudden and complete atonia leading to collapse that can last several seconds to minutes)
How can you distinguish between narcolepsy and syncope?
(Slap an ECG on them, if its normal during an episode it’s narcolepsy)
In what three ways can you distinguish between behavioral disorders (aggression or OCD, characterized by episodic stereotypies that may be confused for seizures) and seizures?
(No loss of consciousness, no change in muscle tone, there is usually an identifiable trigger)
A dog presents to you with a history of intermittent signs of a head tilt, veering off to one side when walking and you note nystagmus when the dog has an episode in-hospital. Blood work is normal, no signs of infection of either ear, but an elevated blood pressure. What are the episodes that dog is having?
(Transient vestibular/ischemic attacks → could be caused by systemic hypertension, hypothyroidism, otitis media/interna, and cerebellar malformations/degenerative dz, tx of underlying dz (if treatable) will resolve the attacks)
You are a shelter vet and are presented with a young little white dog with lots of long white hair so you can’t tell the breed, it has been reported that their back legs go stiff and their back arches when they are taken on their daily walks. What breed is this dog likely to be and what is the issue?
(Scottish terrier (though a similar syndrome is seen in cairn and norwich terriers and westies) and the issue is hypertonicity aka scottie cramp)
What is the term for involuntary, rhythmic oscillatory movements of a body part with symmetric velocity in both directions of movement?
(Tremors)
You are presented with a 2 year old Boston Terrier that the owner’s report has been having these episodes of nodding that last half an hour to an hour. The Boston starts nodding while she’s explaining and when she exclaims “Just like that!” the dog looks at her for a few seconds before going back to nodding. You let her know that it’s a tremor and she wants to know if there’s something she can do and if this could get worse, what do you tell her?
(No ma’am, there is no treatment but it’s okay, he’s not in pain or distress. Postural tremors are non-progressive so no, he will not get worse.)