A preliminary genome-wide association study of paroxysmal dyskinesia in the Norwich Terrier

Paroxysmal dyskinesias (PxDs) are typified by recurring episodes of involuntary abnormal movement without loss of consciousness (Bhatia, 2011; CerdaGonzalez et al., 2021). PxD is phenotypically heterogeneous in dogs, but characteristics are often shared between breeds and with human PxD (Cerda-Gonzalez et al., 2021; Lowrie & Garosi, 2017). A pedigree analysis of a group of Norwich Terriers in a previous study of PxD in the UK showed clustering of cases and suggested an inherited component, although mode of inheritance could not be ascertained (De Risio et al., 2016). A PxD prevalence of 13% (95% confidence interval 9–18%) was estimated in this study, although as it was questionnaire-based it was likely to have had a bias towards affected dogs.