Dr. Karen Munana, DVM, MS
Professor, Neurology
Phone: 919.513.6231
Fax: 919.513.6336
Email: karen_munana@ncsu.edu
Education
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, 1988, University of California, Davis
Specialty
Small Animal Neurology and Neurosurgery.
Professional Experience & Qualifications
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Neurology), 1993
Residency in Neurology and Neurosurgery, Colorado State University, 1990-1993
Internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, Kansas State University, 1988-1989
Research Area
Canine epilepsy, with focus on causes of refractory (poorly controlled) epilepsy and development of more effective treatments for dogs with seizures.
Encephalitis: studies into potential causes, diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory brain disease in dogs and cats
Selected Publications
Moore SA, Muñana KR, Papich MG, Nettifee-Osborne JA. The pharmacokinetics of levetiracetam in healthy dogs concurrently receiving phenobarbital. Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, accepted January 2010.
Moore SA, Muñana KR, Papich MG, Nettifee-Osborne J. Levetiracetam pharmacokinetics in healthy dogs following single and multiple oral doses. American Journal of Veterinary Research 2010; 71:337-341.
Muñana KR, Zhang D, Patterson EE. Placebo effect in canine epilepsy trials. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 2010;24:166-170.
Kennerly EM, Idaghdour Y, Olby NJ, Muñana KR, Gibson GC. Pharmacogenetic association study of 30 genes with phenobarbital drug response in epileptic dogs. Pharmacogenetics and Genomics 2009; 19:911-922.
Muñana KR, Saito M, Hoshi F. Beta 2-microglobulin levels in the cerebrospinal fluid of normal dogs and dogs with neurological disease. Veterinary Clinical Pathology 2007; 36:173-178.
Blann K, Stebbins M, Muñana K, Davidson M, Jackson H, Willard M, Breitschwerdt E. Clinicopathologic abnormalities and treatment response in dogs seroreactive to Bartonella vinsonii subspecies berkhoffii antigens: a retrospective study. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association 2004; 40:92-101.
Schatzberg SJ, Haley NJ, Barr SC, deLahunta A, Olby N, Muñana K, Sharp NJ. Use of a multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay in the antemortem diagnosis of toxoplasmosis and neosporosis in the central nervous system of cats and dogs. American Journal of Veterinary Research 2003; 64:1507-1513.
Muñana KR, Vitek SA, Tarver WB, Saito M, Skeen TM, Sharp NJH, Olby NJ, Haglund MM. The use of vagal nerve stimulation as a treatment for refractory epilepsy in dogs: a placebo-controlled, double blind, cross-over study. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2002; 221:977-983.
De Risio L, Muñana K, Murray M, Olby N, Sharp N, Cuddon P. Post-operative recovery and long term follow-up in 21 dogs undergoing dorsal laminectomy for caudal cervical spondylomyelopathy. Veterinary Surgery 2002;31:418-427.
Saito M, Muñana KR, Sharp NJH, Olby NJ. Risk factors for development of status epilepticus in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy and effects of status epilepticus on outcome and survival time: 32 cases (1990-1996). Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 2001;219:618-623.
Muñana KR, Olby NJ, Sharp NJH, Skeen T. Intervertebral disc disease in 10 cats. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association 2001;37:384-389.
Muñana KR, Vitek SM, Hegarty BC, Kordick DL, Breitschwerdt EB. Infection of fetal feline brain cells in culture with Bartonella henselae. Infection and Immunity 2001;69:564-569.
Muñana KR, Luttgen PJ. Evaluation of prognostic factors for canine granulomatous meningoencephalomyelitis: 42 cases (1982–1996). Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 1998;212:1902–1906.
Lappin MR, Chavkin MJ, Muñana KR, Cooper CM. Feline ocular and cerebrospinal fluid Toxoplasma gondii-specific humoral immune responses following specific and nonspecific immune stimulation. Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology 1996;55:23–31.
Muñana KR, Lappin MR, Powell CC, Cooper CM, Chavkin MJ. Sequential measurement of Toxoplasma gondii-specific antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid of cats with experimentally induced toxoplasmosis. Progress in Veterinary Neurology 1995;6:27–31.
Chavkin MJ, Lappin MR, Powell CC, Cooper CM, Muñana KR. Toxoplasma gondii-specific antibodies in the aqueous humor of cats with toxoplasmosis. American Journal of Veterinary Research 1994;55:1244–1249.
Muñana KR, Luttgen PJ, Thrall MA, Mitchell TW, Wenger DA. Neurologic manifestations of Niemann-Pick disease type C in cats. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 1994;8:117–121.
Review Articles in Peer-Reviewed Journals
Muñana KR. Medical Management of Refractory Canine Epilepsy. Veterinary Medicine 2009; 104: 342-347.
Muñana KR. Leading Edge - Management of refractory canine epilepsy. Veterinary Forum 2006; 23: 42-46.
Muñana KR. Acute-Onset Vestibular Disease. Compendium’s Standards of Care 1999; 1(8):1–5.
Selected book chapters and commissioned articles
Muñana KR. Cerebrosinal fluid tap. In: Vaden S, Knoll J et al (eds). 5-Minute Veterinary Consult: Diagnostic Procedures and Laboratory Tests. Blackwell Publishing, pp 168-171, 2009.
Muñana KR. Meningitis and encephalitis in dogs, cats and horses. In: The Merck-Merial Manual of Pet Health, pp 210-211, 466-467, 722-723, 2007.
Muñana KR. Meningitis and encephalitis. In: The Merck Veterinary Manual, 9th ed, pp 1044-1047, 2005.
Muñana KR. Taking a practical approach to the management of seizures in dogs. DVM In Focus: A supplement to DVM Newsmagazine, pp 21-24, 2004.
Muñana KR. Head tilt and nystagmus. In: Platt SR and Olby NJ (eds). BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Neurology, 3rd ed. British Small Animal Veterinary Association, pp155-171, 2004.
Muñana KR. Disorders of the Brain. In: Morgan R (ed). Handbook of Small Animal Practice. 4th ed. WB Saunders, Philadelphia, pp 233-255, 2003.
Muñana KR. Inflammatory Disorders of the Central Nervous System. In: August JR (ed). Consultations in Feline Internal Medicine. 4th ed. WB Saunders, Philadelphia, pp. 425-433, 2001.
Muñana KR. Disorders of the Brain. In: Morgan R, ed. Handbook of Small Animal Practice. 3rd ed. WB Saunders, Philadelphia, pp. 230–251, 1997.
Muñana KR. Encephalitis and meningitis. Veterinary Clinics of North America [Small Animal Practice] 1996;26:857–874.