Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40826364›Full record

ArticleFluids and barriers of the CNS2025

Subcortical and white matter alterations in canine ventriculomegaly: an observational volumetric and voxel-based-morphometry study.

Tom Cornelius Cyriacks, Martin J Schmidt, Eberhard Ludewig, Johannes Boltze, Robert Dahnke, Simone A Fietz, Björn Nitzsche

Abstract readObservational Study, Veterinary
In one paragraph

Article in Fluids and barriers of the CNS, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Tom Cornelius CyriacksDepartment of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Neurosurgery, Neuroradiology and Clinical Neurology, Clinic for Small Animals, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
Martin J SchmidtDepartment of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Neurosurgery, Neuroradiology and Clinical Neurology, Clinic for Small Animals, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
Eberhard LudewigDiagnostic Imaging, Clinical Department for Small Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Johannes BoltzeSchool of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK.
Robert DahnkeStructural Brain Mapping Group, Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.
Simone A FietzDepartment of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Neurosurgery, Neuroradiology and Clinical Neurology, Clinic for Small Animals, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
Björn NitzscheDepartment of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Neurosurgery, Neuroradiology and Clinical Neurology, Clinic for Small Animals, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany. bjoern.nitzsche@gmx.net.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveVentriculomegaly and hydrocephalus are frequently found during routine clinical imaging, and hydrocephalus in dogs has been shown to alter brain tissue. Although approaches exist to differentiate canine hydrocephalus from ventriculomegaly, information about brain tissue alterations in dogs with ventriculomegaly is lacking. In this observational study, we focused on ventriculomegaly and examined the cerebral anatomical adaptations that accommodate the increased ventricular volume.

methods95 neuroradiological normal diagnosed dogs of different breeds were divided into the two groups, ventriculomegaly and control, according to morphological criteria and ventricle-brain-indices as determined by ratio of brain and lateral ventricle wide. Brain volumetry and voxel-based-morphometry (VBM) were conducted using automatic procedures employing the Statistical Parametric Mapping software and a canine brain atlas.

resultsSignificant alterations in cingulate cortex, caudate nucleus, thalamus, hippocampus, geniculate body as well as corpus callosum were observed in dogs of the ventriculomegaly group by both volumetry and VBM. Interestingly, ventriculomegaly affected only lateral ventricles, the 3rd ventricle, and the mesencephalic aqueduct but not the 4th ventricle. DISCUSSION: A clear distinction between canine hydrocephalus and ventriculomegaly remains difficult and recent research suggests parallels between both. Advances in automated segmentation methods and voxel-based morphometry applicable to canine magnetic resonance imaging offer the opportunity to comprehensively assess structural abnormalities. In addition, clinical assessments are required to investigate the impact of ventriculomegaly on cognitive function and behavior in further studies.

conclusionWe propose the use of a lower ventricle-brain-index threshold of ≥ 0.5 to include all ventricle-associated tissue alterations with potential clinical manifestation.

Indexed as

BrainDog DiseasesHydrocephalusWhite MatterAnimalsDogsFemaleMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleBrainDogHydrocephalusMagnetic resonance imagingSubcortical structuresVentriculomegalyVoxel-based-morphometry

Identifiers

PMID40826364
PMCPMC12362925

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.