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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2020; 10(9); 1563; doi: 10.3390/ani10091563

Association Between Disease Severity, Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and Serum Cortisol Concentrations in Horses with Acute Abdominal Pain.

Abstract: Heart rate variability (HRV) is a noninvasive technique to detect changes in the autonomous nervous system. It has rarely been investigated in horses with colic. Therefore, the objective was to assess the evolution of HRV parameters and cortisol concentrations in horses with colic. The 43 horses included in this study were categorized into three groups according to the treatment (1, surgical; 2, conservative; 3, euthanized). The HRV and laboratory variables were measured at admission (T1), the day after admission (T2), and at discharge (T3) and compared between groups and over time with an ANOVA with Bonferroni correction. Relationships between the HRV parameters themselves and the laboratory variables was assessed by Pearson correlation coefficients. Evolution of the heart rate (HR) over time, mean normal to normal R intervals (meanNN) and cortisol concentrations indicate a decreased sympathetic stimulation over time in group 1 and 2, in contrast to group 3. For group 3, the meanNN and HR differed significantly to group 2 at T1 and to group 1 and 2 at T2. Treatment induced a change in the HRV and cortisol response in horses managed conservatively or surgically but not in horses that required euthanasia. However, further studies are required to assess the validity of HRV analyses in horses with colic.
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Publication Date: 2020-09-02 PubMed ID: 32887514PubMed Central: PMC7552187DOI: 10.3390/ani10091563Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research investigates the link between the severity of abdominal pain in horses, heart rate variability (HRV) and serum cortisol concentrations. It finds that treatment alters HRV and cortisol reactions in surgery or conservatively managed horses, but not in ones that require euthanasia.

Study Objective and Methodology

  • The main objective of this study is to comprehend the evolution of HRV parameters and cortisol concentrations in horses suffering from severe abdominal pain, also known as colic.
  • The research included 43 horses, divided into three groups based on their treatment methods: surgical, conservative, and euthanized.
  • The HRV and laboratory tests were conducted at three different time intervals: at admission, the day after, and at the time of discharge. These tests helped in comparing the groups and observing the variations over time using an ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) with Bonferroni correction, a statistical test.
  • The correlations between the HRV parameters and the laboratory variables were determined through Pearson correlation coefficients.

Findings of the Research

  • The observation of the heart rate (HR) changes over time, mean normal to normal R intervals (meanNN), and cortisol levels indicated a decrease in sympathetic nervous system activity in groups that underwent surgical and conservative treatments, contrasting the euthanized group.
  • For the euthanized group, the meanNN and HR were significantly different when compared to the surgical and conservative groups at initial stages.
  • The study concludes that the treatment influenced the HRV and cortisol responses in horses undergoing surgical or conservative treatment, but this was not the case in horses that required euthanasia.

Study Conclusion and Future Directions

  • This study emphasizes the potential of using HRV analysis in assessing conditions such as colic in horses. However, the authors suggest that more studies are needed to further establish the validity of this technique.
  • Through these findings, the study provides a base for further research while opening a path to improved treatment techniques for horses suffering from severe abdominal pain.

Cite This Article

APA
Gehlen H, Faust MD, Grzeskowiak RM, Trachsel DS. (2020). Association Between Disease Severity, Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and Serum Cortisol Concentrations in Horses with Acute Abdominal Pain. Animals (Basel), 10(9), 1563. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10091563

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 10
Issue: 9
PII: 1563

Researcher Affiliations

Gehlen, Heidrun
  • Equine Clinic, Veterinary Department, Freie University Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany.
Faust, Maria-Dorothee
  • Equine Clinic, Veterinary Department, Freie University Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany.
Grzeskowiak, Remigiusz M
  • Large Animal Clinical Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, 2407 River Dr, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA.
Trachsel, Dagmar S
  • Equine Clinic, Veterinary Department, Freie University Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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