Noninvasive Assessment of Neuromuscular Disease in Dogs: Use of the 6-minute Walk Test to Assess Submaximal Exercise Tolerance in Dogs with Centronuclear Myopathy.
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ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Noninvasive methods of quantitating exercise tolerance in dogs with neuromuscular disease are needed both for clinical and research use. The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) has been validated as a reliable test of exercise tolerance in dogs with pulmonary and cardiac disease, but not in dogs with neuromuscular disease. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES:Distance walked and number of steps taken during 6MWT will differ between Labrador retriever dogs with centronuclear myopathy (CNM) and control (ie, healthy) littermates. ANIMALS:Eight purebred Labrador retrievers were drawn from a purpose-bred research colony (status: 3 clear, 2 carrier, and 3 homozygous mutants for the protein tyrosine phosphatase-like A (PTPLA) gene mutation associated with CNM). METHODS:Pilot, prospective, Case-controlled study. Researchers were blinded to disease status. Each dog was leash-trained and acclimatized to the testing area (length, 12.8 m). At the start of testing, each animal was fitted with a pedometer, a timer was started, and dogs were allowed to walk at their own pace for 6 minutes. Distance walked and pedometer readings were recorded. RESULTS:Degree of paresis varied among affected dogs, and was reflected by significant differences in distance walked between CNM-affected dogs and those with clear and carrier genotypes (P = .048). Pedometer readings did not vary according to genotype (P = .86). CONCLUSIONS:The 6MWT appears to differentiate between the ambulatory capacity of normal and CNM-affected dogs. Additional studies are needed to confirm this relationship in a larger number of dogs, and to evaluate the ability of the 6MWT to differentiate between dogs with variable severity of neuromuscular disease-associated exercise intolerance.
SUBMITTER: Cerda-Gonzalez S
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4913584 | biostudies-literature | 2016 May
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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