Valentine Martlé1, Kathelijne Peremans2, Robrecht Raedt3, Simon Vermeire4, Kristl Vonck5, Paul Boon6, Luc Van Ham7, Mulenda Tshamala8, Jacques Caemaert9, André Dobbeleir10, Luc Duchateau11, Tim Waelbers12, Ingrid Gielen13, Sofie Bhatti14. 1. Department of Small Animal Medicine and Clinical Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium. Electronic address: Valentine.Martle@UGent.be. 2. Department of Medical Imaging and Small Animal Orthopaedics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium. Electronic address: Kathelijne.Peremans@UGent.be. 3. Laboratory for Clinical and Experimental Neurophysiology, Department of Neurology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: Robrecht.Raedt@UGent.be. 4. Department of Medical Imaging and Small Animal Orthopaedics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium. Electronic address: simonvermeire@hotmail.com. 5. Laboratory for Clinical and Experimental Neurophysiology, Department of Neurology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: Kristl.Vonck@UGent.be. 6. Laboratory for Clinical and Experimental Neurophysiology, Department of Neurology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: Paul.Boon@UGent.be. 7. Department of Small Animal Medicine and Clinical Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium. Electronic address: Luc.Vanham@UGent.be. 8. Department of Small Animal Medicine and Clinical Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium. Electronic address: Mulenda.Tshamala@UGent.be. 9. Department of Neurosurgery, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: Jacques.Caemaert@UGent.be. 10. Department of Medical Imaging and Small Animal Orthopaedics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: andre.dobbeleir@skynet.be. 11. Department of Physiology and Biometrics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium. Electronic address: Luc.Duchateau@UGent.be. 12. Department of Small Animal Medicine and Clinical Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium. Electronic address: timwaelbers@me.com. 13. Department of Medical Imaging and Small Animal Orthopaedics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium. Electronic address: Ingrid.Gielen@UGent.be. 14. Department of Small Animal Medicine and Clinical Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium. Electronic address: Sofie.Bhatti@UGent.be.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an effective adjunctive treatment for refractory epilepsy in humans, but its mechanism of action (MOA) and optimal stimulation parameters are still unknown. Functional neuroimaging studies could provide better insight into the brain structures involved in the activity of VNS, but have not yet been described in dogs. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of acute VNS on the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in dogs using micro-SPECT (μ-SPECT). Additionally, a novel stimulation paradigm (microburst VNS) was used and compared with standard VNS. METHODS: A VNS Therapy System was implanted in ten Beagle dogs. μ-SPECT was performed after sham, standard and microburst VNS in a randomized, cross-over study. Nineteen volumes of interest (VOIs) were semi-quantitatively analysed and perfusion indices (PIs) were calculated. Furthermore, a rostro-caudal gradient (R-C), an asymmetry index (AI) and a cortical-subcortical index (Co-SCo) were determined. The SPECT results after standard and microburst VNS were compared pairwise with sham stimulation. RESULTS: Acute standard VNS did not cause significant rCBF alterations. Acute microburst VNS caused a significant hypoperfusion in the left frontal lobe (P=0.023) and in the right parietal lobe (P=0.035). Both stimulation paradigms did not cause changes in R-C, AI nor Co-SCo. CONCLUSIONS: Microburst VNS is more potent than standard VNS to modulate the rCBF in the dog. Our results promote further research towards the antiepileptic effect of microburst VNS in dogs and humans.
PURPOSE: Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an effective adjunctive treatment for refractory epilepsy in humans, but its mechanism of action (MOA) and optimal stimulation parameters are still unknown. Functional neuroimaging studies could provide better insight into the brain structures involved in the activity of VNS, but have not yet been described in dogs. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of acute VNS on the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in dogs using micro-SPECT (μ-SPECT). Additionally, a novel stimulation paradigm (microburst VNS) was used and compared with standard VNS. METHODS: A VNS Therapy System was implanted in ten Beagle dogs. μ-SPECT was performed after sham, standard and microburst VNS in a randomized, cross-over study. Nineteen volumes of interest (VOIs) were semi-quantitatively analysed and perfusion indices (PIs) were calculated. Furthermore, a rostro-caudal gradient (R-C), an asymmetry index (AI) and a cortical-subcortical index (Co-SCo) were determined. The SPECT results after standard and microburst VNS were compared pairwise with sham stimulation. RESULTS: Acute standard VNS did not cause significant rCBF alterations. Acute microburst VNS caused a significant hypoperfusion in the left frontal lobe (P=0.023) and in the right parietal lobe (P=0.035). Both stimulation paradigms did not cause changes in R-C, AI nor Co-SCo. CONCLUSIONS: Microburst VNS is more potent than standard VNS to modulate the rCBF in the dog. Our results promote further research towards the antiepileptic effect of microburst VNS in dogs and humans.
Authors: Marta Nowakowska; Muammer Üçal; Marios Charalambous; Sofie F M Bhatti; Timothy Denison; Sebastian Meller; Gregory A Worrell; Heidrun Potschka; Holger A Volk Journal: Front Vet Sci Date: 2022-06-16
Authors: Eugenijus Kaniusas; Stefan Kampusch; Marc Tittgemeyer; Fivos Panetsos; Raquel Fernandez Gines; Michele Papa; Attila Kiss; Bruno Podesser; Antonino Mario Cassara; Emmeric Tanghe; Amine Mohammed Samoudi; Thomas Tarnaud; Wout Joseph; Vaidotas Marozas; Arunas Lukosevicius; Niko Ištuk; Sarah Lechner; Wlodzimierz Klonowski; Giedrius Varoneckas; Jozsef Constantin Széles; Antonio Šarolić Journal: Front Neurosci Date: 2019-07-24 Impact factor: 4.677