Essay On Idiopathic Epilepsy

Introduction
Research in genetics and genetic disorders have been interests of the scientific community for a long time. It has been limited to what can be easily manipulated, typically genes that follow Mendelian modes of inheritance, until recently when in 2005 the first complete canine genome was sequenced (NIH/National Human Genome Research Institute [NIH/NHGRI], 2005). This opened the door for research on complex inherited traits and allowed for greater detail. One such trait that could now be analyzed was idiopathic epilepsy in dogs.
What is idiopathic epilepsy? Epilepsy is a condition in which a seizure occurs twice or more in a month with no apparent trigger. A seizure is when abnormal brain electricity causes external symptoms, typically
The breeds that are most commonly afflicted are Beagles, American Cocker Spaniel, Collies, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Irish Setter, Labrador Retriever, Poodles, Saint Bernard, Border Collie, Boxers, English Springer Spaniel, Siberian Husky, and Welsh Terrier (Thomas, 2010) (University of Prince Edward Island, c2011). It is estimated that about one to two percent of dogs have idiopathic epilepsy (Kowles, 1998). These statistics may be low due to the fact that the study only takes into account dogs that have been successfully diagnosed with this condition. There may be more that are left untreated, misdiagnosed, or die prior to being
What causes this shaking is nerve cells becoming hyperactive and firing in bursts for a few seconds to as long as a few minutes. Human case studies have found that this may be caused by increased synaptic connectivity, intrinsic properties (like abnormal voltage-gated ion channel function), abnormal synaptic receptors, and altered inhibitory transmission (Jeffreys, 2009). Since veterinary neurology clinics do not routinely use electroencephalography (EEG) classification, our understanding of canine epilepsy is lesser to that of epilepsy found in humans (Chandler,