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Topic:Nervous System
The nervous system in horses is a complex network responsible for transmitting signals between different parts of the body. It consists of the central nervous system (CNS), which includes the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system (PNS), which comprises nerves that extend throughout the body. The nervous system regulates various physiological processes, including movement, sensation, and the coordination of bodily functions. It plays a critical role in processing sensory information and initiating appropriate responses. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the structure, function, and clinical implications of the equine nervous system, including its role in behavior, response to stimuli, and neurological disorders.
Morphometric magnetic resonance imaging and genetic testing in cerebellar abiotrophy in Arabian horses. Cerebellar abiotrophy (CA) is a rare but significant disease in Arabian horses caused by progressive death of the Purkinje cells resulting in cerebellar ataxia characterized by a typical head tremor, jerky head movements and lack of menace response. The specific role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to support clinical diagnosis has been discussed. However, as yet MR imaging has only been described in one equine CA case. The role of MR morphometry in this regard is currently unknown. Due to the hereditary nature of the disease, genetic testing can support the diagnosis of CA. Therefore, the...
Hypercapnic respiratory acidosis: a protective or harmful strategy for critically ill newborn foals? This paper reviews both the beneficial and adverse effects of permissive hypercapnic respiratory acidosis in critically ill newborn foals. It has been shown that partial carbon dioxide pressure (PCO2) above the traditional safe range (hypercapnia), has beneficial effects on the physiology of the respiratory, cardiovascular, and nervous system in neonates. In human neonatal critical care medicine permissive hypercapnic acidosis is generally well-tolerated by patients and is more beneficial to their wellbeing than normal carbon dioxide (CO2) pressure or normocapnia. Even though adverse effects o...
Development and validation of an equine nerve block simulator to supplement practical skills training in undergraduate veterinary students. Lameness is the most common presenting complaint in equine practice. Performing diagnostic nerve blocks is an integral part of any lameness work-up, and is therefore an essential skill for equine practitioners. However, the opportunities for veterinary students to practice this skill are limited. The aim of this study was to design and validate an equine nerve block simulator. It was hypothesised that the simulator would improve students' ability and enhance their confidence in performing nerve blocks. A simulator was built using an equine forelimb skeleton and building foam. Wire wool targets...
The segmental morphometric properties of the horse cervical spinal cord: a study of cadaver. Although the cervical spinal cord (CSC) of the horse has particular importance in diseases of CNS, there is very little information about its segmental morphometry. The objective of the present study was to determine the morphometric features of the CSC segments in the horse and possible relationships among the morphometric features. The segmented CSC from five mature animals was used. Length, weight, diameter, and volume measurements of the segments were performed macroscopically. Lengths and diameters of segments were measured histologically, and area and volume measurements were performed u...
Distribution of purinergic P2X receptors in the equine digit, cervical spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia. Purinergic pathways are considered important in pain transmission, and P2X receptors are a key part of this system which has received little attention in the horse. The aim of this study was to identify and characterise the distribution of P2X receptor subtypes in the equine digit and associated vasculature and nervous tissue, including peripheral nerves, dorsal root ganglia and cervical spinal cord, using PCR, Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. mRNA signal for most of the tested P2X receptor subunits (P2X1-5, 7) was detected in all sampled equine tissues, whereas P2X6 receptor su...
Neuromuscular blocking agents and monitoring in the equine patient. This article briefly reviews the physiology of the neuromuscular junction and the pharmacologic mechanisms of neuromuscular blocking agents. The clinical use of modern agents is discussed. Monitoring techniques used to assess the level of neuromuscular block and to exclude residual paralysis at the end of an anesthetic procedure are reviewed.
Lateralized suckling in domestic horses (Equus caballus). Brain lateralization enables preferential processing of certain stimuli and more effective utilization of these stimuli in either the left or the right cerebral hemisphere. Horses show both motor and sensory lateralization patterns. Our aim was to determine whether a lateralized response could be detected in foals during the naturally side-biased behaviour, suckling. The foals' preferred suckling side could be the effect of either visual or motor lateralization. In the case of a visual lateralized response, foals are expected to suck more often from the mother's right side, so potential danger...
Differential expression of TAR DNA-binding protein (TDP-43) in the central nervous system of horses afflicted with equine motor neuron disease (EMND): a preliminary study of a potential pathologic marker. Equine motor neuron disease (EMND) is a neurodegenerative disorder of unknown etiology affecting horses worldwide. Trans-Active Response DNA Binding Protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43) has been reported in the central nervous system (CNS) of several neurodegenerative conditions in humans including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and assumed to play role in the disease. We examined whether horses afflicted with EMND express the TDP-43 in CNS. Ten horses with EMND and 6 controls of different ages and breed we enrolled. Detection of presence of TDP-43 protein in the CNS was analyzed by immunohistoche...
Hepatoencephalopathy syndrome due to Cassia occidentalis (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae) seed ingestion in horses. Cassia occidentalis is a bush from the Leguminosae family, subfamily Caesalpinoideae, and is a toxic plant of veterinary interest due to the occasional contamination of animal rations. This report describes the clinical and histopathological findings of an outbreak of C. occidentalis poisoning in horses. Twenty mares were poisoned after consuming ground corn contaminated with 8% of C. occidentalis seeds. Of the 20 animals affected, 12 died: 8 mares were found dead, 2 died 6 h after the onset of clinical signs compatible with hepatic encephalopathy and the 2 other animals were subjected to euth...
Mycotic encephalitis, sinus osteomyelitis, and guttural pouch mycosis in a 3-year-old Arabian colt. Mycotic encephalitis caused severe ataxia and other neurologic deficits in a horse. The finding of a single, large focus of cerebral malacia, with histopathologic evidence of fungal elements, suggested infection was a result of direct transfer from the frontal sinuses, rather than hematogenous spread from the guttural pouch. Une encéphalite mycotique a causé une ataxie grave et d’autres déficits neurologiques chez un cheval. La découverte d’un grand foyer unique de malacie cérébrale avec une preuve histopathologique d’éléments fongiques a suggéré que l’infection était un tr...
Poisoning by Indigofera lespedezioides in horses. Poisoning by Indigofera lespedezioides is reported in horses in the state of Roraima, northern Brazil. The main clinical signs are anorexia, sleepiness, unsteady gait, severe ataxia, weakness, stumbling, and progressive weight loss. To induce the disease experimentally, a 7-year-old horse was introduced in a small paddock invaded by the plant. The first nervous signs were observed 44 days from the start of grazing. The animal was euthanized on day 59. No significant gross lesions were observed upon necropsies of the experimental horse as well as one spontaneously affected horse. Upon histologi...
Nigropallidal encephalomalacia in horses grazing Rhaponticum repens (creeping knapweed). Nigropallidal encephalomalacia was diagnosed in two horses in northern Victoria that had a history of long-term pasture access to a dense growth of Rhaponticum repens. The region in which the affected horses lived had received well above average rainfall for several months preceding the poisoning. Affected horses had sudden onset of subcutaneous oedema of the head, impaired prehension and mastication, dullness, lethargy and repeated chewing-like jaw movements. Diagnosis was confirmed at necropsy, with characteristic malacic lesions in the substantia nigra and globus pallidus of the brain. This...
Electrophysiological studies in American Quarter horses with neuroaxonal dystrophy. Neuroaxonal dystrophy (NAD) is a disease characterized by the sudden onset of neurologic signs in horses ranging from 4 to 36 months of age. Equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (EDM), a disease that has been associated with low vitamin E concentrations, is considered a more advanced form of NAD. The objective of this report is to describe the electrophysiological features of NAD/EDM in American Quarter horses (QHs). HORSES: Six NAD/EDM-affected QHs and six unaffected QHs were evaluated by ophthalmic examination and electroretinography. Five of the NAD/EDM-affected QH and five unaffected QH...
Diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry for Eastern equine encephalitis virus and West Nile virus in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded brain tissue of horses. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and in situ hybridization (ISH) can be used either to detect or to differentiate between Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) and West Nile virus (WNV) within formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) brain tissue of horses. To compare the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of ISH and IHC, FFPE brain tissue from 20 EEEV-positive horses and 16 WNV-positive horses were tested with both EEEV and WNV oligoprobes and EEEV- and WNV-specific antibodies. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for detection of EEEV and WNV was used as the gold standar...
Confirmed case of encephalitis caused by Murray Valley encephalitis virus infection in a horse. A 5-year-old Australian stock horse in Monto, Queensland, Australia, developed neurological signs and was euthanized after a 6-day course of illness. Histological examination of the brain and spinal cord revealed moderate to severe subacute, nonsuppurative encephalomyelitis. Sections of spinal cord stained positively in immunohistochemistry with a flavivirus-specific monoclonal antibody. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assay targeting the envelope gene of flavivirus yielded positive results from brain, spinal cord, cerebrospinal fluid, and facial nerve. A flavivirus was isolate...
Latent equine herpesvirus-1 in trigeminal ganglia and equine idiopathic headshaking. Trigeminal neuralgia or neuropathic pain has been regarded as a putative cause of idiopathic headshaking in horses. Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) infection and resultant postherpetic pain have been suggested as a possible cause of such neuropathic pain. Objective: To determine the presence of EHV-1 in the trigeminal ganglia of horses with idiopathic headshaking. Methods: Nineteen horses: control (n = 11, 9 geldings, 2 mares, median age 11 years) and headshaking (n = 8, all geldings, median age 11.5 years) horses were sourced from the equine research herd and caseload at the Veterinary Medical T...
Immunohistochemical analysis of cartilage-derived retinoic acid-sensitive protein (CD-RAP)/melanoma inhibitory activity (MIA) in murine, canine, bovine and equine cerebrospinal tissues. Cartilage-derived retinoic acid-sensitive protein (CD-RAP)/melanoma inhibitory activity (MIA), which appears abundantly in hypertrophic cartilage at the stage of endochondral ossification, is also detected in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) following spinal cord injury. In this study, the localization of the CD-RAP/MIA molecule in normal tissues of the spine and brain obtained from mice, rats, dogs, cattle and horses was examined using immunohistochemistry with a specific antibody. The positive signals of CD-RAP/MIA were found at nerve cells in the spinal cords of all species and were especially str...
Neuro-ophthalmology in horses. A complete neuro-ophthalmologic assessment is relatively simple, requires minimal instrumentation and should be performed as part of every complete ophthalmic and neurologic examination. This article has summarized the tests that comprise and the species-specific details of the complete neuro-ophthalmologic of the equine patient. Selected causes of sudden blindness in the horse were summarized and some common neuro-ophthalmic conditions with significant ophthalmic consequences, such as facial nerve paralysis, were discussed. Split-lid tarsorrhaphies, which are indicated but rarely used in case...
Toxins and adverse drug reactions affecting the equine nervous system. This article provides an overview of the more common toxins and adverse drug reactions, along with more rare toxins and reactions (Table 1), that result in neurologic dysfunction in horses. A wide variety of symptoms, treatments, and outcomes are seen with toxic neurologic disease in horses. An in-depth history and thorough physical examination are needed to determine if a toxin or adverse drug reaction is responsible for the clinical signs. Once a toxin or adverse drug reaction is identified, the specific antidote, if available, and supportive care should be administered promptly.
Guttural pouch diseases causing neurologic dysfunction in the horse. The close relationship between guttural pouches, cranial nerves, and sympathetic structures make neurologic abnormalities due to diseases of the guttural pouches (especially mycosis) possible. Recognition of epistaxis or mucopurulent nasal discharge, together with signs of dysfunction of the cranial nerves in contact with the guttural pouches, are important key points in order to consider a comprehensive evaluation of these structures and further definitive diagnosis. Diseases of the guttural pouches can also cause signs such as dysphagia, abnormal soft palate positioning, laryngeal paralysis,...
Expression of high-molecular-mass neurofilament protein in horse (Equus caballus) spinal ganglion neurons. Spinal ganglion (SG) neurons are subdivided, on the basis of their cytoplasmic aspect at light and electron microscopy, into dark (D) and light (L) neurons. Numerous efforts have been made to find specific markers able to identify D and L neuronal cytotypes. The isolectin B4 (IB4), utilized to identify nonpeptidergic D neurons in mice, unfortunately, has not proved as effective in other species. The 200-kDa neurofilament protein (NF200) is considered as a typical marker of L neurons in the rat, cat, and chick. The aim of this study was to analyze the histological, morphometric, and neurochemic...
Advanced imaging of the nervous system in the horse. Neuroimaging underwent a dramatic revolution during the past few decades due to the development of new technologies that produce exquisite images of patient morphology and function, new technologies that store and distribute information more efficiently, and research that has improved understanding of pathogenesis and effective clinical use of new imaging methods. Advanced equine neuroimaging is a specialized field with unique challenges associated with patient size, availability of equipment, using equipment designed for humans, small sample size for various diseases, and issues associated wi...
Miscellaneous neurologic or neuromuscular disorders in horses. NMD is an important cause of morbidity in horses. Signs of dysfunction could be variable depending on the specific area affected. NM disease can go unrecognized if a thorough evaluation is not performed in diseased horses. Electrodiagnostic testing is an area that has the potential to document and improve our understanding of NM disease yet is uncommonly performed. Keeping an open and observant mind will enhance our ability to search and find answers.
Neonatal encephalopathy in foals. Neonatal encephalopathy is a common central nervous system disorder of neonatal foals and human infants, resulting in clinical signs such as lethargy, inappropriate behavior, seizures, and other neurologic deficits. Although neonatal encephalopathy is frequently seen in equine practice, a paucity of veterinary clinical and basic science research data is available. Therefore, the pathophysiologic mechanisms of this disorder in equids, such as energy deprivation, excess excitatory amino acids, and free radical injury, have been extrapolated from human medicine. Equine veterinarians have used var...
Evaluation of epidemiological, clinical, and pathological features of neuroaxonal dystrophy in Quarter Horses. To describe epidemiological, clinical, and pathological features of neuroaxonal dystrophy in Quarter Horses (QHs) on a single farm. Methods: Prospective case series. Animals-148 horses. Methods: Neurologic, pathological, and toxicological evaluations were completed in selected neurologically affected horses over a 2-year period. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed. Results: 87 QHs and 1 QH-crossbred horse were affected. Most (50/88 [56.8%]) affected horses were 1 to 2 years old (median age, 2 years [range, 2 months to 34 years]). Neurologic deficits included obtundation (53/88 [60%]...
Lumbar ligamentum flavum hematoma treated with endoscopy. Hematoma of the ligamentum flavum is a rare cause of neural compression, for which treatment has consisted of excising the hematoma via open surgical approaches, including total laminectomy or bilateral partial laminectomy. This article presents the first report of a microscope-assisted endoscopic decompression to resect a hematoma of the ligamentum flavum.A 52-year-old man presented with back and leg pain, as well as difficulty initiating micturation. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated an epidural mass at L5/S1 that was continuous with the facet joint. Visualization was obtained via an e...
Use of BAER to identify loss of auditory function in older horses. To use the brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER) to test the hypothesis that auditory function could be worse in older horses than in younger horses. Methods: BAER waveforms in response to click stimuli were measured in five younger horses (5-8 years) and four older horses (17-22 years). Results: Compared with the younger horses, the older horses showed significantly (P < 0.02) worse BAER thresholds and significantly (P < 0.02) worse BAER wave V amplitudes to the 90 decibels above normal hearing level stimulus. These results were consistent with partial deafness in the older horse gr...
