A review of the primary dysautonomias of domestic animals.
Abstract: Primary dysautonomias appear to be the result of initial damage to the protein synthetic pathway of a specific neuronal population, but despite detailed morphological study of several species there is, as yet, no indication of the precise lesion or the nature of the causal agent. The very marked similarities between the species with regard to lesion type, distribution, the age group affected and the geographical restrictions of occurrence would suggest a very similar, if not common, aetiology. There is no explanation, however, for the 70 year gap between its appearance in horses and its subsequent occurrence in other species or why it is these species, with very different physiology, habits and habitats, that are affected. No reference could be found in the literature to any infectious agent or toxin causing a similar range of structural effects with a similar species specificity or lesion distribution. Many questions about dysautonomias remain. Why is the lesion distribution so specific? At what level of the synthetic pathway does the primary lesion occur? What are the unusual compounds demonstrated in "acute phase" serum from affected horses; are they a neurotoxic agent(s) and/or its metabolites, or the abnormal product of an affected animal? Why did the experimental ponies which developed autonomic lesions not become ill? When do the clinical signs appear in relation to the occurrence of the primary lesion? Why are adolescent and young adult animals most commonly affected? As the general understanding of neuronal function and the numerous factors which influence it improves, the many subtle distinctions and similarities amongst the myriad sub-populations of neurones will become clearer and common features may emerge which will link the seemingly disparate neuronal types involved in the primary dysautonomias.
Publication Date: 1992-02-01 PubMed ID: 1597536DOI: 10.1016/0021-9975(92)90041-rGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
- Review
- Animal Health
- Animal Science
- Clinical Pathology
- Clinical Study
- Clinical Symptoms
- Comparative Study
- Diagnosis
- Disease
- Disease Diagnosis
- Disease Etiology
- Domestic Animals
- Equine Diseases
- Equine Health
- Equine Science
- Horses
- Neurological Diseases
- Physiology
- Species Comparison
- Veterinary Medicine
- Veterinary Research
- Veterinary Science
Summary
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This research article explores primary dysautonomias in domestic animals, a group of disorders resulting from apparent damage to specific neuronal structures. Despite numerous studies, the precise causes and impacts of these conditions remain largely unknown.
Understanding Primary Dysautonomias
Primary dysautonomias are disorders that originate from damage to a specific class of nerve cells. Most analysis shows that the damage occurs in the protein synthesis pathway of these neuronal cells. Despite extensive investigation, the research community has yet to discover the exact cause of the damage, the nature of the damages, or their direct effects.
- No concrete correlation has been found between dysautonomias and any known agent (such as viruses or toxins) that might be responsible for creating similar structural damages with the same degree of species specificity and lesion distribution.
- The study highlights that dysautonomias typically present common features across different species, including lesion type, distribution, the age group affected, and geographic restrictions, suggesting a common cause across species. However, the reasons for the specific distribution of the lesion and why it primarily affects younger animals remain unclear.
Unresolved Aspects and Future Research Directions
Primary dysautonomias pose many unresolved questions, making them an active field for research. Some of these open research questions include:
- What causes the specific distribution of the lesion in the nervous system?
- What is the relationship between the onset of clinical symptoms and the occurrence of the primary lesion?
- Why are adolescent and young adult animals the most affected?
- What are the peculiar compounds found in the serum from affected horses during the acute phase of the disease? Are they neurotoxic agents or metabolites, or do they result from abnormal biological processes in the affected animal?
Progress in understanding neuronal function and the numerous factors that influence it may provide answers to these questions and reveal common features that link diverse neuronal types involved in primary dysautonomias. Despite the complexity of the disease and the lack of a definitive understanding, the researchers display optimism for future breakthroughs in understanding these disorders.
Cite This Article
APA
Pollin MM, Griffiths IR.
(1992).
A review of the primary dysautonomias of domestic animals.
J Comp Pathol, 106(2), 99-119.
https://doi.org/10.1016/0021-9975(92)90041-r Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Dept. of Veterinary Surgery and Reproduction, Glasgow University Veterinary School, U.K.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Animals, Domestic
- Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / epidemiology
- Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / etiology
- Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / metabolism
- Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / pathology
- Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / veterinary
- Catecholamines / metabolism
- Colombia / epidemiology
- Disease Outbreaks / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / etiology
- Horse Diseases / metabolism
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses
- Humans
- Nervous System / pathology
- Neurons / ultrastructure
- Neuropeptides / metabolism
- Neurotoxins / toxicity
- United Kingdom / epidemiology
Citations
This article has been cited 8 times.- McGorum BC, Chen Z, Glendinning L, Gweon HS, Hunt L, Ivens A, Keen JA, Pirie RS, Taylor J, Wilkinson T, McLachlan G. Equine grass sickness (a multiple systems neuropathy) is associated with alterations in the gastrointestinal mycobiome. Anim Microbiome 2021 Oct 9;3(1):70.
- McGorum BC, Symonds HW, Knottenbelt C, Cave TA, MacDonald SJ, Stratton J, Leon I, Turner JA, Pirie RS. Alterations in amino acid status in cats with feline dysautonomia. PLoS One 2017;12(3):e0174346.
- Jahns H, Fast C. A histopathological study of bovine ganglia. J Comp Pathol 2014 Feb-Apr;150(2-3):234-44.
- Caines D, Pinard CL, Kruth S, Orr J, James F. Autonomic dysfunction in a Jack Russell terrier. Can Vet J 2011 Mar;52(3):297-9.
- Murray A, Cottrell DF, Woodman MP. Cholinergic activity of intestinal muscle in vitro taken from horses with and without equine grass sickness. Vet Res Commun 1994;18(3):199-207.
- Atkins CN, Hahn CN, McGorum BC. Comparison of Dysautonomia Across Species: Current Knowledge and Future Research Opportunities. J Vet Intern Med 2025 Jul-Aug;39(4):e70140.
- Harte T, Smith D, Moore J, Wells B. Review of published research on primary dysautonomia of domestic animals. Vet Rec 2026 Jan 3;198(1):e30-e40.
- Kidder AC, Johannes C, O'Brien DP, Harkin KR, Schermerhorn T. Feline dysautonomia in the Midwestern United States: a retrospective study of nine cases. J Feline Med Surg 2008 Apr;10(2):130-6.
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