Cognitive dysfunction syndrome in domestic felines
Keywords:
Amyloid beta protein, animal neurofunction, feline geriatricsAbstract
Aging can be defined as a process of progressive decline in the physiological functions of living organisms, which is associated with the passage of time and influenced by genetic, environmental, and nutritional factors. Feline
Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (FCDS) is an age-related neurodegenerative pathology that causes neuronal degeneration and deterioration of synapses, being similar to Alzheimer's Disease (AD) in humans. FCDS is
characterized by the manifestation of behavioral changes, especially vocalization, in addition to changes related to learning and memory, as well as a decrease in the level of consciousness (response to stimuli) and confusion. The definitive diagnosis for FCDS consists of excluding other possible diseases, in addition to clinical, physical, neurological, and laboratory/diagnostic tests and the application of a cognitive screening questionnaire, so that similar diseases are ruled out. Currently, there is no cure for this disease, and palliative treatment is indicated to delay the progression of the disease, through vitamin supplementation and pharmacological, dietary therapies, and environmental enrichment therapies. Some similarities between FCDS and AD can be found, including the
presence of beta-amyloid protein and tauhyperphosphorylated protein, which are identified as possible triggers of such diseases. Thus, due to the scarcity of scientific works on cognitive dysfunction in companion animals,
especially in domestic cats, the present work aimed to carry out a literature review on cognitive dysfunction in domestic cats, approaching from etiological aspects to its treatment
References
AZKONA, G.; GARCÍA-BELENGUER, S.; CHACÓN, G.; ROSADO, B.; LEÓN, M.;
PALACIO, J. Prevalence and risk factors of behavioural changes associated with age‐related cognitive impairment in geriatric dogs. Journal of Small Animal Practice, v.50, n.2, p.87-91,2009.
BELLOWS, J.; CENTER, S.; DARISTOTLE, L.; ESTRADA, A.H.; FLICKINGER, E.A.;
HORWITZ, D.F.; LASCELLES, B.D.X.; LEPINE, A.; PEREA, S.; SCHERK, M.;
SHOVELLER, A.K. Aging in cats: Common physical and functional changes. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, v.18, n.7, p.533-550, 2016a.
BELLOWS, J.; CENTER, S.; DARISTOTLE, L.; ESTRADA, A.H.; FLICKINGER, E.A.;
HORWITZ, D.F.; LASCELLES, B.D.X.; LEPINE, A.; PEREA, S.; SCHERK, M.;
SHOVELLER, A.K. Evaluating aging in cats: How to determine what is healthy and what is disease. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, v.18, n.7, p.551-570, 2016b.
BRELLOU, G.; VLEMMAS, I.; LEKKAS, S.; PAPAIOANNOU, N. Immunohistochemical
investigation of amyloid ß-protein (Aß) in the brain of aged cats. Histology and
histopathology, 2005. Disponível em: http://hdl.handle.net/10201/22529. Acesso em: 02 fev. 2024.
CAMPBELL, S.; TRETTIEN, A.; KOZAN, B. A noncomparative open-label study evaluating
the effect of selegiline hydrochloride ina clinical setting. Veterinary Therapeutics, v.2, n.1, p,24-39, 2001.
CASTILLO, C.; HERNÁNDEZ, J. the role of oxidative stress in the development of cognitive dysfunction syndrome in cats. Importance of antioxidant prevention and therapy. SOJ Veterinary Sciences, v.1, n.2, p.1-12, 2015.
CERNA, P.; GARDINER, H.; SORDO, L.; TORNQVIST‐JOHNSEN, C.; GUNN‐MOORE,
D. A. Potential causes of increased vocalisation in elderly cats with cognitive dysfunction syndrome as assessed by their owners. Animals, v.10, n.6, p.1092- 1107, 2020.
CHAMBERS, J.K.; TOKUDA, T; UCHIDA, K.; ISHII, R.; TATEBE, H.; TAKAHASHI, E.;
TOMIYAMA, T.; UNE, Y.; NAKAYAMA, H. The domestic cat as a natural animal model of
Alzheimer’s disease. Acta Neuropathologica Communications, v.3, n.1, p.1-14, 2015.
CUMMINGS, B.J.; SATOU, T.; HEAD, E.; MILGRAM, N.W.; COLE, G.M.; SAVAGE, M.J.;
PODLISNY, M.B.; SELKOE, D.J.; SIMAN, R.; GREENBERG, B.D.; COTMAN, C.W.
Diffuse plaques contain C-terminal Aβ42 and not Aβ40: evidence from cats and dogs.
Neurobiology of Aging, v.17, n.4, p.653-659, 1996.
FAST, R.; SCHÜTT, T.; TOFT, N.; MØLLER, A.; BERENDT, M. An observational study
with long‐term follow‐up of canine cognitive dysfunction: Clinical characteristics, survival, and risk factors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, v.27, n.4, p 822-829, 2013.
GUNN‐MOORE, D.; MOFFAT, K.; CHRISTIE, L.A.; HEAD, E. Cognitive dysfunction and
the neurobiology of ageing in cats. Journal of Small Animal Practice, v.48, n.10, p.546-553, 2007.
GUNN-MOORE, D.A. Cognitive dysfunction in cats: clinical assessment and management. Topics in Companion Animal Medicine, v.26, n.1, p 17-24, 2011.
GUNN-MOORE, D.A.; MCVEE, J.; BRADSHAW, J.M.; PEARSON, G.R.; HEAD, E.;
GUNN-MOORE, F.J. Ageing changes in cat brains demonstrated by β- amyloid and AT8-
immunoreactive phosphorylated tau deposits. Journal of Feline Medicine & Surgery, v.8, n.4, p.234-242, 2006.
HEAD, E.; LIU, J.; HAGEN, T.M.; MUGGENBURG, B.A.; MILGRAM, N.W.; AMES, B.N.;
COTMAN, C. W. Oxidative damage increases with age in a canine model of human brain
aging. Journal of Neurochemistry, v.82, n.2, p.375-381, 2002.
HEAD, E; MOFFAT, K.; DAS, P.; SARSOZA, F.; POON, W.W.; LANDSBERG, G.;
COTMAN, C.W.; MURPHY, M.P. β-Amyloid deposition and tau phosphorylation in clinically characterized aged cats. Neurobiology of Aging, v.26, n.5, p 749-763, 2005
HEAD, E.; GUNN-MOORE, D. Neuropathology of feline dementia. In: LANDSBERG, G.
Canine and Feline Dementia. 1. ed., Springer, Cham, 2017. p.103-111.
KARAGIANNIS, C.; MILLS, D. Feline cognitive dysfunction syndrome. Veterinary Focus,
v.24, n.2, p.42-7, 2014.
KATINA, S.; FARBAKOVA, J.; MADARI, A.; NOVAK, M.; ZILKA, N. Risk factors
forcanine cognitive dysfunction syndrome in Slovakia. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica, v.58, n.1, p.1–7, 2016.
LANDSBERG, G. Therapeutic agents for the treatment of cognitive dysfunction syndrome in senior dogs. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, v.29, n.3, p.471-479, 2005.
LANDSBERG, G. Therapeutic options for cognitive decline in senior pets. Journal of the
American Animal Hospital Association, v.42, n.6, p 407-413, 2006.
LANDSBERG, G.M.; DENENBERG, S.; ARAUJO, J.A. Cognitive dysfunction in cats: a
syndrome we used to dismiss as ‘old age’. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, v.12,
n.11, p.837-848, 2010.
LANDSBERG, G.M.; NICHOL, J.; ARAUJO, J.A. Cognitive dysfunction syndrome: a disease
of canine and feline brain aging. Veterinary Clinics: Small Animal Practice, v.42, n.4, p.749- 768, 2012.
LANDSBERG, G.M.; MALAMED, R. Clinical picture of canine and feline cognitive
impairment. In: LANDSBERG, G.M.; MALAMED, R. Canine and Feline Dementia.
Springer, 1. ed., Editora Springer, Cham, 2017. p.1-12.
LANDSBERG, G.M.; MADARI, A.; ŽILKA, N. Canine and Feline Dementia. 1. ed.,
Landsberg, G., Mad’ari, A., Žilka, N., Eds, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53219-6
LEVINE, M.S.; ADINOLFI, A.M.; FISHER, R.S.; HULL, C.D.; BUCHWALD, N.A.;
MCALLISTER, J.P. Quantitative morphology of medium-sized caudate spiny neurons in aged cats. Neurobiology of Aging, v.7, n.4, p.277-286, 1986.
LEVINE, M.S.; LLOYD, R.L.; FISHER, R.S.; HULL, C.D.; BUCHWALD, N.A. Sensory,
motor and cognitive alterations in aged cats. Neurobiology of aging, v.8, n.3, p.253-263, 1987.
MESSONIER, S.P. Cognitive disorder (senility). The natural health bible for dogs and cats, Roseville: Prima Publishing, v.10, n.1, p.56–57, 2001.
MIELE, A.; SORDO, L.; GUNN-MOORE, D.A. Feline aging: promoting physiologic and
emotional well-being. Veterinary Clinics: Small Animal Practice, v.50, n.4, p.719-748, 2020.
NEILSON, J.C.; HART, B.L.; CLIFF, K.D.; RUEHL, W.W. Prevalence of behavioral changes
associated with age- related cognitive impairment in dogs. Journal of the American
Veterinary Medical Association, v.218, n.11, p.1787-1791, 2001.
PACKER, R.M.A. Cognitive dysfunction in naturally occurring canine idiopathic epilepsy.
Plos One, v.13, n.2, p.e0192182, 2018.
PRPAR MIHEVC, S.; MAJDIČ, G. Canine cognitive dysfunction and Alzheimer’s disease–
two facets of the same disease? Frontiers in Neuroscience, p.604, 2019.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2019.00604
QUIMBY, J.; GOWLAND, S.; CARNEY, H. C.; DEPORTER, T.; PLUMMER, P.;
WESTROPP, J. 2021 AAHA/AAFP feline life stage guidelines. Journal of the American
Animal Hospital Association, v.57, n.2, p.51-72, 2021.
RUEHL, W.W.; BRUYETTE, W.W.; DEPAOLI, D.S.; COTMAN, C.W.; HEAD, E.;
MILGRAM, N.W.; CUMMINGS, B.J. Canine cognitivedysfunction as a model for human agerelated cognitivedecline, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease: clinical presenta-tion, cognitive testing, pathology and response to l-deprenyltherapy. Program Brain Research, v.106, n.22, p.217–25, 1995.
SÉE, V.; LOEFFLER, J.P. Oxidative stress induces neuronal death by recruiting a protease and phosphatase-gated mechanism. Journal of Biological Chemistry, v.276, n.37, p.35049-35059, 2001.
SORDO, L. Neuropathology, diagnosis, and potential treatment of feline cognitive
dysfunction syndrome and its similarities to Alzheimer's disease. 2021.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fragi.2021.684607.
SORDO, L.; GUNN‐MOORE, D.A. Cognitive dysfunction in cats: Update on
neuropathological and behavioural changes plus clinical management. Veterinary Record, v.188, n.1, p.1-46, 2021.
SORDO, L.; MARTINI, A.C.; HOUSTON, E.F.; HEAD, E.; GUNN-MOORE, D.
Neuropathology of aging in cats and its similarities to human Alzheimer’s disease. Frontiers in Aging, v.2, n.106, p.18, 2021.
TAYEBATI, S.K. Animal models of cognitive dysfunction. Mechanisms of Ageing and
Development, v.127, n.2, p.100-108, 2006.
TAYLOR, C. Pet health care costs rise as cats and dogs live longer than ever. Time. 2016
Sep 13. Disponível em: http://time.com/money/4490014/pet-health-costs-rise. Acesso em: 01 abr. 2024.
VITE, C.H.; HEAD, E. Aging in the canine and feline brain. Veterinary Clinics: Small
Animal Practice, v.44, n.6, p 1113-1129, 2014.
ZHANG, J.H.; SAMPOGNA, S.; MORALES, F.R.; CHASE, M.H. Age-related changes in
cholinergic neurons in the laterodorsal and the pedunculo-pontine tegmental nuclei of cats: a combined light and electron microscopic study. Brain Research, v.1052, n.1, p.47-55, 2005. ZHANG, C.; HUA, T.; ZHU, Z.; LUO, X. Age-related changes of structures in cerebellar cortex of cat. Journal of Biosciences, v.31, n.1, p.55-60, 2006.
