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Home / Equine Research Bank / J Vet Intern Med / Brainstem auditory evoked responses in an equine patient pop...
Journal of veterinary internal medicine2014; 28(4); 1318-1324; doi: 10.1111/jvim.12377

Brainstem auditory evoked responses in an equine patient population. Part II: foals.

Abstract: Reports of the use of brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER) as a diagnostic modality in foals have been limited. Objective: To describe BAER findings and associated causes of hearing loss in foals. Methods: Study group 18 foals (15 neonatal, 3 nonneonatal), control group (5 neonatal foals). Methods: Retrospective. BAER records from the Clinical Neurophysiology Laboratory were reviewed from the years of 1982 to 2013. Peak latencies, amplitudes, and interpeak intervals were measured when visible. Clinical data were extracted from the medical records. Foals were grouped under disease categories. Descriptive statistics were performed. Results: Ten neonatal foals had complete absence of BAER bilaterally and 5 had findings within reference range. Abnormalities were associated with common neonatal disorders such as sepsis, neonatal encephalopathy, neonatal isoerythrolysis, and prematurity. BAER loss also was observed in foals with specific coat color patterns such as completely or mostly white with blue irides or lavender with pale yellow irides. An American Miniature foal with marked facial deformation also lacked BAER bilaterally. One nonneonatal foal with an intracranial abscess had no detectable BAER peaks bilaterally, and 2 older foals, 1 with presumed equine protozoal myeloencephalitis and the other with progressive scoliosis and ataxia, had BAER within normal limits. Conclusions: In neonatal foals, BAER deficits commonly are complete and bilateral, and associated with common neonatal disorders and certain coat and eye color patterns. Sepsis, hypoxia, bilirubin toxicity, and prematurity should be investigated as potential causes of auditory loss in neonatal foals.
Copyright © 2014 by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
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Publication Date: 2014-06-05 PubMed ID: 24903742PubMed Central: PMC4857935DOI: 10.1111/jvim.12377Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

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 article explores the use of Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response (BAER) in diagnosing hearing losses in newborn and non-newborn foals, revealing its correlation to common neonatal disorders, coat and eye colors, as well as other symptoms.

Methodology

  • The researchers conducted a retrospective study, which spanned from 1982 to 2013. The study group included 18 foals (15 newborns, 3 non-newborns), while the control group consisted of 5 newborn foals.
  • They observed BAER records from the Clinical Neurophysiology Laboratory, measuring peak latencies, amplitudes, and interpeak intervals whenever they were visible.
  • Furthermore, they gathered clinical data from medical records and categorized foals into various disease groups.
  • Descriptive statistical analysis was performed on the collected data.

Findings

  • In neonatal foals, ten showed a complete absence of BAER bilaterally (on both sides), while five had results in the reference range.
  • BAER abnormalities correlated with common neonatal disorders such as sepsis, neonatal encephalopathy, neonatal isoerythrolysis, prematurity. Coating and eye color patterns also displayed a significant link with BAER loss. Foals that were completely or mostly white with blue irides or lavender with pale yellow irides frequently lacked BAER.
  • One particular American Miniature foal with significant facial deformation was found to have zero BAER bilaterally.
  • Among non-newborn foals, the BAER was undetectable in a foal diagnosed with an intracranial abscess. However, in two other older foals presumed with equine protozoal myeloencephalitis and progressing scoliosis and ataxia, BAER appeared to be within normal limits.

Conclusions

  • The study concludes that neonatal foals commonly have complete and bilateral BAER deficits. These are often linked with common neonatal disorders and specific coat and eye color patterns.
  • It also notes that sepsis, hypoxia, bilirubin toxicity, and prematurity should be further investigated as potential causes of auditory loss in neonatal foals.

Cite This Article

APA
Aleman M, Madigan JE, Williams DC, Holliday TA. (2014). Brainstem auditory evoked responses in an equine patient population. Part II: foals. J Vet Intern Med, 28(4), 1318-1324. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.12377

Publication

Journal of veterinary internal medicine
ISSN: 1939-1676
NlmUniqueID: 8708660
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 28
Issue: 4
Pages: 1318-1324

Researcher Affiliations

Aleman, M
  • Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA.
Madigan, J E
    Williams, D C
      Holliday, T A

        MeSH Terms

        • Age Factors
        • Animals
        • Animals, Newborn / physiology
        • Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / physiology
        • Hearing Loss / physiopathology
        • Hearing Loss / veterinary
        • Horse Diseases / physiopathology
        • Horses / physiology
        • Retrospective Studies

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        Citations

        This article has been cited 3 times.
        1. Aleman MR, True A, Scalco R, Crowe CM, Costa LRR, Chigerwe M. Gentamicin-induced sensorineural auditory loss in healthy adult horses. J Vet Intern Med 2021 Sep;35(5):2486-2494.
          doi: 10.1111/jvim.16221pubmed: 34322916google scholar: lookup
        2. Aleman M, Davis E, Williams DC, Madigan JE, Smith F, Guedes A. Electrophysiologic Study of a Method of Euthanasia Using Intrathecal Lidocaine Hydrochloride Administered during Intravenous Anesthesia in Horses. J Vet Intern Med 2015 Nov-Dec;29(6):1676-82.
          doi: 10.1111/jvim.13607pubmed: 26332487google scholar: lookup
        3. Aleman M, Williams DC, Guedes A, Madigan JE. Cerebral and brainstem electrophysiologic activity during euthanasia with pentobarbital sodium in horses. J Vet Intern Med 2015 Mar-Apr;29(2):663-72.
          doi: 10.1111/jvim.12570pubmed: 25800436google scholar: lookup
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