Detection of functional deficit zone in cats with epilepsy using resting state functional MRI and creation of standard brain template

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K16005
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 42020:Veterinary medical science-related
• Research Institution: Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University
• Principal Investigator: Hamamoto Yuji 日本獣医生命科学大学, その他部局等, 助教 (60825206)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: てんかん / 脳萎縮 / 機能的MRI / 安静 / 猫

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Cats present with neurological disorders similar to humans, such as epilepsy and cognitive dysfunction. Since it is difficult to perform metabolic measurements using nuclear medicine examination in cats, diagnosis of many neurological diseases is based mainly on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Using resting-state functional MRI, we investigated whether abnormal default mode networks can detect an epileptogenic zone. This study showed that the bilateral parietal cortex atrophies with aging in cats without neurological dysfunction including epileptic seizures. Therefore the function of the somatosensory cortex may be declined with aging. And then, default mode network analysis using resting-state functional MRI could not detect the functional deficit zone. Since the software used in this study was developed for humans, it is necessary to investigate the optimal parameter in cats.

Free Research Field

犬猫のてんかん

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

猫は犬とともに最も身近な動物であり，飼育環境の改善などから高齢化の傾向にある．近年の研究により，猫はてんかんやアルツハイマー型認知機能障害などの様々な脳神経疾患でヒトのモデル動物になり得ると考えられているが，ヒトと同様に脳の経時的変化やその機能をMRIを用いて評価した報告はほとんどなかった．本研究結果は猫の老齢医学の基礎データであるため画像診断による脳萎縮の診断につながり，今後の脳機能の解析により適切な治療開発に貢献する可能性が秘められている．また，ヒトの疾患モデル動物としてのトランスレーショナル・リサーチの先駆けになるものである．