Investigating the effects of Imepitoin (Pexion®) on the behaviour of dogs with idiopathic epilepsy
Behaviour tests
One of the key areas of this study is behavioural testing, carried out to investigate the effects of Imepitoin on your dog’s behaviour before and after treatment with this drug. The tests carried out in this study are short and non-invasive, and have been previously carried out in dogs in published scientific studies.
To aid your decision-making as to whether or not you would like to sign your dog up for this study, please read the following details to see if you are happy for them to be involved:
- Open field test – how much will your dog explore a novel room?
Your dog will be introduced to a new room and allowed to explore for 4 minutes while their behaviour is video recorded. To ensure the safety of your dog, the room will be empty with the exception of a desk, and the dog can be observed by the study staff through an internal window.
- Separation test – what is the dog’s reaction to being left on its own?
You will sit with your dog for 3 minutes reading a magazine, then in the manner you leave them at home, will leave them alone in the room for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, you will re-enter the room, greet your dog and start reading again for 3 minutes, then the test will end.
- Startle response test – how will the dog respond to a sudden moving object?
Your dog will enter a corridor with a mesh gate separating it in two. Your dog be led to one side of the gate, and will be offered a small amount of food in a bowl next to the gate (please let us know if they have any specific dietary needs). While eating, an umbrella will be opened on the other side of the gate to your dog, and their response to this object will be recorded for 1 minute e.g. do they approach it or move away?
- Novel object test – how will the dog respond to a novel object?
In the same corridor as the above test, your dog will again be led to one side of the gate. On the other side, a member of study staff will drive a remote controlled car towards the gate until it makes contact with the gate. Your dog’s reaction to this new object will be recorded e.g. do they approach it or move away?
Digital footage recorded throughout these tests will allow detailed analysis of your dog’s behaviour before and after receiving Imepitoin.Before and after these tests, a small saliva sample will be taken from your dog using a soft cotton swab, to measure levels of the stress hormone ‘Cortisol’.