Segregation analysis of epilepsy in the Belgian tervueren dog

Abstract

In 1986, a survey of the incidence of epileptic seizures among dogs in the American Belgian Tervuren Club was undertaken. By 1989, 557 of the 607 members had returned completed surveys, providing seizure information about 938 dogs. The survey classified the dogs into one of four categories: 1) no seizures observed (738 dogs); 2) one seizure observed (26 dogs); 3) two to five seizures observed (82 dogs); and 4) more than five seizures observed (92 dogs). To evaluate the plausibility of a major gene model, a regressive logistic model was applied to these data. The results suggest that a single locus with a large effect on the incidence of seizures may be segregating in this population.