Feline dementia: understanding the pathogenesis and assessing clinical progression at the University of Edinburgh

Supervisors: Professor Danielle Gunn-Moore, Dr Fiona Houston and Dr Gerry Thompson

Closing Date:  5th January 2022

There are ~11 million pet cats in the UK, of which 50% will develop dementia by 15 years old. The hallmark of this condition is loud vocalization, associated with confusion and attention seeking1.  Other clinical signs include loss of litterbox training, forgetting they have been fed, and changes in sleep-wake cycles2. We have shown that cats with feline dementia (FD) share some of the neuropathological features of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in people, including accumulation of b-amyloid plaques and hyperphosphorylated tau.

To improve case management and clinical outcomes for FD, we need tools to objectively assess the severity and progression of clinical signs and response to treatment. The aim of this project is to identify specific biochemical and imaging biomarkers and genetic risk factors for FD, and characterise the clinical and neuropathological features of the disease. This work will also further validate cats as a model for AD in humans.

PhD objectives:

1. Develop clinical tools to aid assessment and progression of cognitive deficits in cats with FD – i) validate cognitive testing tasks, and ii) investigate whether analysis of MP3 recordings of vocalisation with FD show consistent differences from healthy cats.

1. Assess whether biochemical biomarkers identified in the blood of AD patients can aid in the diagnosis of FD.

1. Assess whether genetic risk factors associated with AD (e.g. expression of the E4 allele of apolipoprotein E) are present in cats.

1. Perform high resolution MRI on cat brains post mortem to provide insights into neurite density and orientation as markers of brain microstructural integrity, with the aim of identifying translational biomarkers of relevance in humans.

1. Characterise neuropathological changes associated with aging and FD using immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy to analyse e.g. neuroinflammatory changes (astrocytic/microglial activation), evidence of blood-brain barrier leakage.

References

1. Černá P, Gardiner H, Sordo L, Tørnqvist-Johnsen C, Gunn-Moore DA. Potential Causes of Increased Vocalisation in Elderly Cats with Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome as Assessed by Their Owners. Animals (Basel). 2020 Jun 24;10(6):1092.

1. Sordo L, Gunn-Moore DA. Cognitive Dysfunction in Cats: Update on Neuropathological and Behavioural Changes Plus Clinical Management. Vet Rec. 2021 Jan;188(1):e3.

1. Sordo L, Martini AC, Houston EF, Gunn-Moore DA. Neuropathology of Aging in Cats and its Similarities to Human Alzheimer’s Disease. Front. Aging, 07 June 2021 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fragi.2021.684607

Funding information and application procedures

We would encourage applicants to list up to three projects of interest (ranked 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice) from those listed with a closing date of 5th January 2022 at https://www.ed.ac.uk/roslin/work-study/opportunities/studentships 

This opportunity is open to UK and international students and provides funding to cover stipend, tuition fees and consumable/travel costs.  Applications including a statement of interest and full CV with names and addresses (including email addresses) of two academic referees, should be emailed to [email protected].

When applying for the studentship please state clearly the project title/s and the supervisor/s in your covering letter.

A webinar will be held on Tuesday 14th December at 13.00hrs (UK time) to assist you in the application process and tell you a little more about studying for a PhD with us.  It will also give you an opportunity to ask any questions you may have.  If interested in joining us please send your name and email address to [email protected]by Friday 10th December and we will send you a link to the on line meeting

ALL APPLICATION PROCEDURES MUST BE COMPLETED BY THE CLOSING DATE 5th JANUARY 2022