Topic:Brain

Changes in salivary oxytocin in response to biologically-relevant events in farm animals: method optimization and usefulness as a biomarker.
Frontiers in physiology    March 19, 2024   Volume 15 1370557 doi: 10.3389/fphys.2024.1370557
Moscovice LR, Sobczak B, Niittynen T, Koski SE, Gimsa U.Although best known for its established role in mediating parturition and lactation, the highly-conserved neuropeptide hormone oxytocin also mediates a range of social and stress-buffering processes across mammalian species. Measurements of peripheral oxytocin in plasma have long been considered the gold standard, but there is increasing interest in developing methods to detect oxytocin non-invasively in saliva. Here we present an analytical and biological validation of a novel method to measure salivary oxytocin (sOXT) in an under-studied research group: farm animals. Given their similarities...
Short Road Transport and Slaughter Stress Affects the Expression Profile of Serotonin Receptors, Adrenocortical, and Hematochemical Responses in Horses.
Veterinary sciences    March 3, 2024   Volume 11, Issue 3 113 doi: 10.3390/vetsci11030113
Bruschetta G, Zanghu00ec G, Giunta RP, Ferlazzo AM, Satuu00e9 K, D'Ascola A, Fazio E.Horse transport is considered a cause of stress in animals and is known to affect the 5-HT concentrations in both the brain and other tissues. The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of horse transportation and slaughter stress on plasma serotonin's concentration and the expression levels of the related 5-HT1B and 5-HT2A receptors in PBMCs. Furthermore, the IL-12 levels and a variety of blood parameters, including triglycerides, total cholesterol, glucose, aspartate aminotransferase, creatine phosphokinase, lactate dehydrogenase, were also considered. This research was carried o...
A transmandibular lateral transsphenoidal navigated surgical approach to access a pituitary macroadenoma in a warmblood mare.
The veterinary quarterly    February 23, 2024   Volume 44, Issue 1 1-10 doi: 10.1080/01652176.2023.2300947
de Preux M, Precht C, Guevar J, Graubner C, Thenhaus-Schnabel S, Buser L, Lukes A, Koch C.A 16-year-old warmblood mare was referred with a progressive history of behavioral changes and left-sided blindness. Following neuroanatomical localization to the forebrain, magnetic resonance imaging of the head revealed a well-delineated, 4.5 cm in diameter, round pituitary mass causing marked compression of the midbrain and optic chiasm. Euthanasia was recommended but declined by the owners. Veterinary specialists and a human neurosurgeon collaboratively prepared for surgical case management. A novel navigated transmandibular lateral transsphenoidal approach was developed to access the re...
First Swedish case of fatal equine parasitic encephalitis by Halicephalobus gingivalis.
Acta veterinaria Scandinavica    December 15, 2023   Volume 65, Issue 1 56 doi: 10.1186/s13028-023-00719-5
Olofsson KM, van de Velde N, Peletto S, Iulini B, Pratley L, Modabberzadeh B, Mau0142ek E, Grandi G.Halicephalobus gingivalis is a nematode with zoonotic potential which can cause fatal opportunistic infections in various mammals. The parasite has never been diagnosed in Sweden, in any species, prior to the presented case. Methods: An imported 21-year-old Icelandic mare developed severe neurological signs. The horse was eventually euthanized and submitted for post-mortem examination where severe lesions in the kidneys were noted. Histopathology revealed the presence of H. gingivalis in both kidneys and the brain. Phylogenetic analysis of the parasite determined it to belong to Lineage 1. Con...
Common and atypical presentations of Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection in equids with emphasis on neurologic and muscle disease.
Journal of veterinary internal medicine    December 1, 2023   doi: 10.1111/jvim.16964
Aleman M, Vedavally U, Pusterla N, Wensley F, Berryhill E, Madigan JE.Comprehensive descriptions of equids with granulocytic anaplasmosis (EGA) with neurologic or muscle disease and other atypical presentations are scarce in the literature. Objective: Describe the clinical signs, laboratory findings, treatment, and outcome of equids with EGA with emphasis on neurologic and muscle disease. Methods: Thirty-eight horses, 1 donkey. Methods: Retrospective study. Equids with EGA were included. The electronic data base was searched from January 2000 to December 2022 using the words anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, granulocytic, and rickettsia. Signalment and clinical data w...
Lateralised Behavioural Responses in Livestock to Environmental Stressors: Implications for Using Infrared Thermography to Assess Welfare Conditions.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    November 27, 2023   Volume 13, Issue 23 3663 doi: 10.3390/ani13233663
Goma AA, Uddin J, Kieson E.Lateralised behavioural responses to environmental stressors have become more frequently used as indicators of social welfare in animals. These lateralised behavioural responses are under the control of asymmetrical brain functions as part of the primary functions of most vertebrates and assist in primary social and survival functions. Lateralised behavioural responses originating from the left hemisphere are responsible for processing familiar conditions, while the right hemisphere is responsible for responding to novel stimuli in the environment. The forced lateralisation and side preference...
Patterns of horse and camel- related injuries: A descriptive analysis from a national trauma registry (2007-2021).
Injury    October 4, 2023   Volume 54, Issue 12 111093 doi: 10.1016/j.injury.2023.111093
El-Menyar A, Khan NA, Naqvi SGA, Al-Thani H.The large animal-related injuries are emerging major trauma but remain underestimated public health problem worldwide. We aimed to determine the incidence, clinical characteristics, mechanisms and patterns of horse and camel-related injuries (HCRIs) in a Middle Eastern country. Methods: A retrospective analysis of all patients who were hospitalized due to HCRIs was conducted. Data included patient's demographics, mechanism of injury, anatomical location and severity of injury, and hospital outcomes. Results: Between November 2007 and December 2021, there were 273 hospitalized patients with HCR...
Severe Neurologic Disease in a Horse Caused by Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus, Austria, 2021.
Viruses    September 29, 2023   Volume 15, Issue 10 2022 doi: 10.3390/v15102022
de Heus P, Bagu00f3 Z, Weidinger P, Lale D, Trachsel DS, Revilla-Fernu00e1ndez S, Matiasek K, Nowotny N.As evidenced by sero-epidemiological studies, infections of horses with the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) occur frequently in TBEV-endemic areas. However, there are only very few reports of clinical cases. A possible underreporting may be due to a variety of diagnostic challenges. In this study, ELISA and neutralization tests were applied to serum samples. Brain tissue samples were investigated for the presence of nucleic acids of TBEV, , Borna disease virus 1, West Nile and Usutu viruses, rustrela virus, as well as Eastern, Western, and Venezuelan equine encephalitis viruses with RT-qP...
Non-invasive estimation of in vivo optical properties and hemodynamic parameters of domestic animals: a preliminary study on horses, dogs, and sheep.
Frontiers in veterinary science    September 18, 2023   Volume 10 1243325 doi: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1243325
Frabasile L, Amendola C, Buttafava M, Chincarini M, Contini D, Cozzi B, De Zani D, Guerri G, Lacerenza M, Minero M, Petrizzi L, Qiu L, Rabbogliatti V....Biosensors applied in veterinary medicine serve as a noninvasive method to determine the health status of animals and, indirectly, their level of welfare. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been suggested as a technology with this application. This study presents preliminary time domain NIRS measurements of optical properties (absorption coefficient, reduced scattering coefficient, and differential pathlength factor) and hemodynamic parameters (concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin, deoxygenated hemoglobin, total hemoglobin, and tissue oxygen saturation) of tissue domestic animals, specif...
Detection of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) in urine samples during outbreaks of equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy.
Equine veterinary journal    September 12, 2023   doi: 10.1111/evj.14007
Velloso Alvarez A, Jose-Cunilleras E, Dorrego-Rodriguez A, Santiago-Llorente I, de la Cuesta-Torrado M, Troya-Portillo L, Rivera B, Vitale V....Real-time PCR is the diagnostic technique of choice for the diagnosis and control of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) in an outbreak setting. The presence of EHV-1 in nasal swabs (NS), whole blood, brain and spinal cord samples has been extensively described; however, there are no reports on the excretion of EHV-1 in urine, its DNA detection patterns, and the role of urine in viral spread during an outbreak. Objective: To determine the presence of EHV-1 DNA in urine during natural infection and to compare the DNA detection patterns of EHV-1 in urine, buffy coat (BC) and NS. Methods: Descriptive st...
Equine Gunshot Euthanasia: Creation of a 3D-Printed Model with Integrated Sensors for Training.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    August 9, 2023   Volume 13, Issue 16 2566 doi: 10.3390/ani13162566
Dybdal N, Horgan M, Costa L, Davis E, Lucero S, Nieves S, Quiroz V, Weberg K, Madigan JE.Challenges and issues related to the use of pentobarbital euthanasia and disposal of animal remains within the US have recently been reviewed. Environmental and public health challenges increasingly necessitate consideration of alternative methods such as gunshots, an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) "acceptable with conditions" method, for the humane euthanasia of horses. A recent study reported a correctly aimed gunshot provides a humane option for euthanizing horses. However, although aiming guidelines exist, studies examining bullet trajectories in animals euthanized by gunsh...
Heart and brain: Change in cardiac entropy is related to lateralised visual inspection in horses.
PloS one    August 8, 2023   Volume 18, Issue 8 e0289753 doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289753
Cerebral lateralisation is the tendency for an individual to preferentially use one side of their brain and is apparent in the biased use of paired sensory organs. Horses vary in eye use when viewing a novel stimulus which may be due to different physiological reactions. To understand the interplay between physiology and lateralisation, we presented a novel object (an inflated balloon) to 20 horses while electrocardiogram traces were collected. We measured the amount of time each horse looked at the balloon with each eye. We calculated 'sample entropy' as a measure of non-linear heart rate var...
Knowledge of lateralized brain function can contribute to animal welfare.
Frontiers in veterinary science    August 4, 2023   Volume 10 1242906 doi: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1242906
Rogers LJ.The specialized functions of each hemisphere of the vertebrate brain are summarized together with the current evidence of lateralized behavior in farm and companion animals, as shown by the eye or ear used to attend and respond to stimuli. Forelimb preference is another manifestation of hemispheric lateralization, as shown by differences in behavior between left- and right-handed primates, left- and right-pawed dogs and cats, and left- and right-limb-preferring horses. Left-limb preference reflects right hemisphere use and is associated with negative cognitive bias. Positive cognitive bias is ...
The Effect of Equine-Assisted Activities in Children Aged 7-8 Years Inhibitory Control: An fNIRS Study.
Journal of integrative neuroscience    July 31, 2023   Volume 22, Issue 4 89 doi: 10.31083/j.jin2204089
Cheng X, Qian L, Fan Y, Tang Q, Wu H.Inhibitory control (IC), an important component of executive function, plays an important role in the overall development of children and has not been better studied in the field of equine-assisted activity (EAA). Therefore, this study investigated the effects of EAA on IC and the underlying brain neural mechanisms in children aged 7-8 years. Conclusions: Collectively, EAA demonstrated a positive impact on IC and could effectively activate R-DLPFC in children aged 7-8 years. Furthermore, it enhanced the activation of the brain regions related to IC and increased cognitive ability in children a...
Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus Diversity in Massachusetts Patients, 1938-2020.
The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene    June 20, 2023   Volume 109, Issue 2 387-396 doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.23-0047
Langsjoen RM, Key A, Shariatzadeh N, Jackson CR, Mahmood F, Arkun K, Alexandrescu S, Solomon IH, Piantadosi A.Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) is a relatively little-studied alphavirus that can cause devastating viral encephalitis, potentially leading to severe neurological sequelae or death. Although case numbers have historically been low, outbreaks have been increasing in frequency and scale since the 2000 s. It is critical to investigate EEEV evolutionary patterns, especially within human hosts, to understand patterns of emergence, host adaptation, and within-host evolution. To this end, we obtained formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks from discrete brain regions from five contem...
Efficacy of a brain-penetrant antiviral in lethal Venezuelan and eastern equine encephalitis mouse models.
Science translational medicine    April 12, 2023   Volume 15, Issue 691 eabl9344 doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abl9344
Cao X, Yang D, Parvathareddy J, Chu YK, Kim EJ, Fitz-Henley JN, Li X, Lukka PB, Parmar KR, Temrikar ZH, Dhole P, Adcock RS, Gabbard J, Bansal S....Venezuelan and eastern equine encephalitis viruses (VEEV and EEEV, respectively) are mosquito-borne, neuroinvasive human pathogens for which no FDA-approved therapeutic exists. Besides the biothreat posed by these viruses when aerosolized, arthropod transmission presents serious health risks to humans, as demonstrated by the 2019 outbreak of EEE disease in the United States that resulted in 38 confirmed cases, 19 deaths, and neurological effects in survivors. Here, we describe the discovery of a 2-pyrrolidinoquinazolinone scaffold, efficiently synthesized in two to five steps, whose structural...
T-cell-rich, large B-cell lymphoma in the brain of a horse. Rissi DR, Avery AC, Burnett RC.T-cell-rich, large B-cell lymphoma (TCRLBCL) is the most commonly diagnosed type of lymphoma in horses. Here we describe the clinical signs, neuropathology, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and PCR for antigen receptor rearrangement (PARR) analysis results of a TCRLBCL in the brain of an 8-y-old male Quarter Horse that was euthanized after acute anorexia, tremors, head pressing, falling, blindness, incoordination, and seizures. Autopsy revealed a firm, smooth, pale-yellow mass that expanded both lateral ventricles and the adjacent subcortical white matter. Histologically, the mass consisted of a de...
Case report: Halicephalobus gingivalis in a Tennessee pony.
Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports    February 13, 2023   Volume 39 100843 doi: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2023.100843
Baker E, Geick A, Hines M, Gerhold R, Cordero-Aponte C.A 17-year-old female grade pony presented to University of Tennessee Veterinary Medical Center in May of 2021 for evaluation of multifocal, firm, sessile, circular lesions of various diameters on the ventrum and flank. The lesions had been present for two weeks at presentation. An excisional biopsy found numerous adult and larval rhabditid nematodes most consistent with Halicephalobus gingivalis. PCR targeting a portion of the large ribosomal subunit confirmed this diagnosis. The patient was treated with a high dose course of ivermectin followed by fenbendazole. The patient began showing neuro...
Show me your best side: Lateralization of social and resting behaviors in feral horses.
Behavioural processes    February 2, 2023   Volume 206 104839 doi: 10.1016/j.beproc.2023.104839
da Cruz AB, Hirata S, Dos Santos ME, Mendonu00e7a RS.Growing evidence shows a variety of sensorial and motor asymmetries in social and non-social interactions in various species, indicating a lateralized processing of information by the brain. Using digital video cameras on tripods and drones, this study investigated lateralization in frequency and duration of social behavior patterns, in affiliative, agonistic, and resting contexts, in a feral population of horses (Equus ferus caballus) in Northern Portugal, consisting of 37 individuals organized in eight harem groups. Affiliative interactions (including grooming) were more often performed, and...
Intracranial medulloblastoma as the cause of progressive ataxia in a 6-month-old draft horse cross gelding.
Journal of veterinary internal medicine    November 25, 2022   Volume 37, Issue 1 361-365 doi: 10.1111/jvim.16592
Palmisano M, Bender S, Johnson AL.We describe the unique clinical presentation of a central nervous system neoplasm in a 6-month-old draft horse cross gelding. Based on the neurologic examination at admission, neurolocalization was most consistent with a mildly asymmetric cervical, multifocal, or diffuse myelopathy. Mild vestibular involvement also was considered, but no cranial nerve deficits were observed. The gelding was negative for Sarcocystis neurona or Neospora hughesi based on paired serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples analyzed, with no evidence of cervical compression based on contrast myelography. The horse w...
Perioperative Brain Function Monitoring with Electroencephalography in Horses Anesthetized with Multimodal Balanced Anesthetic Protocol Subjected to Surgeries.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    October 20, 2022   Volume 12, Issue 20 2851 doi: 10.3390/ani12202851
Murillo C, Weng HY, Weil AB, Kreuzer M, Ko JC.This study aimed to investigate the use of electroencephalography (EEG) for detecting brain activity changes perioperatively in anesthetized horses subjected to surgery. Twelve adult horses undergoing various surgeries were evaluated after premedication with xylazine and butorphanol, induction with ketamine, midazolam, and guaifenesin, and maintenance with isoflurane. The frontal EEG electrodes were placed after the horse was intubated and mechanically ventilated. The EEG data were collected continuously from Stage (S)1-transition from induction to isoflurane maintenance, S2-during surgery, S3...
Habit Formation and the Effect of Repeated Stress Exposures on Cognitive Flexibility Learning in Horses.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    October 18, 2022   Volume 12, Issue 20 2818 doi: 10.3390/ani12202818
Henshall C, Randle H, Francis N, Freire R.Horse training exposes horses to an array of cognitive and ethological challenges. Horses are routinely required to perform behaviours that are not aligned to aspects of their ethology, which may delay learning. While horses readily form habits during training, not all of these responses are considered desirable, resulting in the horse being subject to retraining. This is a form of cognitive flexibility and is critical to the extinction of habits and the learning of new responses. It is underpinned by complex neural processes which can be impaired by chronic or repeated stress. Domestic horses...
Adult spinal Dmrt3 neurons receive direct somatosensory inputs from ipsi- and contralateral primary afferents and from brainstem motor nuclei.
The Journal of comparative neurology    October 10, 2022   Volume 531, Issue 1 5-24 doi: 10.1002/cne.25405
Vieillard J, Franck MCM, Hartung S, Jakobsson JET, Ceder MM, Welsh RE, Lagerstru00f6m MC, Kullander K.In the spinal cord, sensory-motor circuits controlling motor activity are situated in the dorso-ventral interface. The neurons identified by the expression of the transcription factor Doublesex and mab-3 related transcription factor 3 (Dmrt3) have previously been associated with the coordination of locomotion in horses (Equus caballus, Linnaeus, 1758), mice (Mus musculus, Linnaeus, 1758), and zebrafish (Danio rerio, F. Hamilton, 1822). Based on earlier studies, we hypothesized that, in mice, these neurons may be positioned to receive sensory and central inputs to relay processed commands to mo...
Study on NGF and VEGF during the Equine Perinatal Period-Part 2: Foals Affected by Neonatal Encephalopathy.
Veterinary sciences    August 26, 2022   Volume 9, Issue 9 459 doi: 10.3390/vetsci9090459
Ellero N, Lanci A, Baldassarro VA, Alastra G, Mariella J, Cescatti M, Castagnetti C, Giardino L.Neonatal Encephalopathy (NE) may be caused by hypoxic ischemic insults or inflammatory insults and modified by innate protective or excitatory mechanisms. Understanding the underlying pathophysiology is important in formulating a rational approach to diagnosis. The preliminary aim was to clinically characterize a population of foals spontaneously affected by NE. The study aimed to: (i) evaluate nerve growth factor (NGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in plasma samples obtained in the affected population at parturition from the mare’s jugular vein, umbilical cord vein an...
Study on NGF and VEGF during the Equine Perinatal Period-Part 1: Healthy Foals Born from Normal Pregnancy and Parturition.
Veterinary sciences    August 23, 2022   Volume 9, Issue 9 451 doi: 10.3390/vetsci9090451
Ellero N, Lanci A, Baldassarro VA, Alastra G, Mariella J, Cescatti M, Giardino L, Castagnetti C.The importance of trophic factors, such as nerve growth factor (NGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) during the perinatal period, is now emerging. Through their functional activities of neurogenesis and angiogenesis, they play a key role in the final maturation of the nervous and vascular systems. The present study aims to: (i) evaluate the NGF and VEGF levels obtained at parturition from the mare, foal and umbilical cord vein plasma, as well as in amniotic fluid; (ii) evaluate NGF and VEGF content in the plasma of healthy foals during t...
Preliminary study of the pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution, and behavioral and select physiological effects of morphine 6-glucuronide (M6G) following intravenous administration to horses. Hamamoto-Hardman BD, Steffey EP, Seminoff K, McKemie DS, Kass P, Knych HK.Although morphine has demonstrated antinociceptive effects in horses, its administration has been associated with dose-dependent adverse effects. In humans and rats, part of the analgesic effect of morphine has been attributed to the active metabolite, morphine-6-glucuronide (M6G). Although morphine can cause several undesirable effects, M6G has a more favorable safety profile. The objective of this study was to characterize the pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution, and behavioral and select physiological effects of M6G following intravenous administration to a small group of horses. In Part ...
Equine Neuroaxonal Dystrophy and Degenerative Myeloencephalopathy.
The Veterinary clinics of North America. Equine practice    July 7, 2022   Volume 38, Issue 2 213-224 doi: 10.1016/j.cveq.2022.04.003
Finno CJ, Johnson AL.Neuroaxonal degenerative disease in the horse is termed equine neuroaxonal dystrophy (eNAD), when pathologic lesions are localized to the brainstem and equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (EDM) and degenerative changes extend throughout the spinal cord. Both pathologic conditions result in identical clinical disease, most commonly characterized by the insidious onset of ataxia during early development. However, later onset of clinical signs and additional clinical features, such as behavior changes, is also observed. A definitive diagnosis of eNAD/EDM requires histologic evaluation of the ...
Neurologic Disorders of the Foal.
The Veterinary clinics of North America. Equine practice    July 7, 2022   Volume 38, Issue 2 283-297 doi: 10.1016/j.cveq.2022.05.005
Furr MO.Neurologic disease of foals is a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for veterinarians. Disease conditions such as neonatal encephalopathy are seen as well as developmental and congenital defects, bacterial infections, and trauma. Neonatal encephalopathy can be considered a "syndrome" with a variety of causes resulting in a similar clinical presentation. These causes can be categorized as maladaptation, hypoxic/ischemic encephalopathy, and metabolic abnormalities, all leading to signs of cerebral and brainstem disease. Spinal cord signs may occasionally be seen, but these signs are usually ov...
Trapezius Motor Evoked Potentials From Transcranial Electrical Stimulation and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: Reference Data, Characteristic Differences and Intradural Motor Velocities in Horses.
Frontiers in neuroscience    April 27, 2022   Volume 16 851463 doi: 10.3389/fnins.2022.851463
Journu00e9e SL, Journu00e9e HL, Berends HI, Reed SM, Bergmann W, de Bruijn CM, Delesalle CJG.So far, only transcranial motor evoked potentials (MEP) of the extensor carpi radialis and tibialis cranialis have been documented for diagnostic evaluation in horses. These allow for differentiating whether lesions are located in either the thoraco-lumbar region or in the cervical myelum and/or brain. Transcranial trapezius MEPs further enable to distinguish between spinal and supraspinal located lesions. No normative data are available. It is unclear whether transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) are interchangeable modalities. Unassigned: To pr...
Magnetic resonance imaging of the normal equine pituitary gland. Hobbs KJ, Porter E, Wait C, Dark M, MacKay RJ.Magnetic resonance imaging is increasingly available for evaluation of horses with suspected pituitary adenomas; however, published studies describing the MRI features of normal equine pituitary glands are currently lacking. This retrospective, descriptive, anatomic study describes the MRI appearance and size of presumed normal equine pituitary glands and assesses potential correlations between pituitary size, brain size, and patient weight. These findings serve as a reference for MRI evaluation of the equine pituitary gland. Inclusion criteria consisted of adult horses (2-15 years old), over ...
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