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Veterinary medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)2018; 9; 63-67; doi: 10.2147/VMRR.S148542

Equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy: prevalence, impact, and management.

Abstract: Equine neuroaxonal dystrophy/equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder affecting many horse breeds. Clinical signs include a symmetric ataxia and an abnormal stance at rest, similar to cervical vertebral compressive myelopathy, equine protozoal myeloencephalitis, and equine herpesvirus 1 myeloencephalopathy. This review will provide an update on the disease prevalence, management, impact, and ongoing research.
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Publication Date: 2018-09-07 PubMed ID: 30234005PubMed Central: PMC6135079DOI: 10.2147/VMRR.S148542Google 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.

The research article discusses the prevalence, effects, and management of Equine neuroaxonal dystrophy/equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy, a neurodegenerative disorder inherited by horses that manifests in symptoms like symmetrical ataxia and abnormal rest stance.

Disease Overview

In the research article, Equine neuroaxonal dystrophy/equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (EDM) is presented as a genetic disorder predominantly found in horses, that leads to neurodegeneration. This health condition tends to display clinical symptoms such as:

  • Symmetric Ataxia – irregular, uncoordinated movements
  • Abnormal Stance at rest – unusual resting posture

These symptoms are suggested to be similar to other horse maladies like cervical vertebral compressive myelopathy, equine protozoal myeloencephalitis, and equine herpesvirus 1 myeloencephalopathy.

Prevalence of the Disease

The research also sheds light on the occurrence rate of EDM among various horse breeds. It indicates that this disorder has a widespread prevalence. Notably, it is suggested that EDM is not confined to a specific breed but affects a wide array of them.

Impact of the Disease

The patient horses with EDM encounter a prominent impact on their physical abilities and health status. Typical behavioural symptoms like Symmetric ataxia and an abnormal stance at rest can deteriorate the quality of life of the affected horses. The physical restrictions can potentially lead to a detrimental impact on racing and breeding aspects if the horse belongs to such domains.

Management and Ongoing Research

The article later covers how EDM is managed and presents updates on ongoing research related to this disease. Management often includes therapeutic strategies and possibly, lifestyle adjustments designed to ease the symptoms and improve the health status of the affected horses. The ongoing research aims to know more about EDM, find preventative measures, and develop effective treatments. The ultimate aim is to reduce the prevalence and impact of this neurodegenerative disorder in the horse population.

Cite This Article

APA
Burns EN, Finno CJ. (2018). Equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy: prevalence, impact, and management. Vet Med (Auckl), 9, 63-67. https://doi.org/10.2147/VMRR.S148542

Publication

Veterinary medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)
ISSN: 2230-2034
NlmUniqueID: 101724251
Country: New Zealand
Language: English
Volume: 9
Pages: 63-67

Researcher Affiliations

Burns, Erin N
  • Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, USA, cjfinno@ucdavis.edu.
Finno, Carrie J
  • Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, USA, cjfinno@ucdavis.edu.

Conflict of Interest Statement

Disclosure Support for CJF was provided by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (1K01OD015134 and L40 TR001136). ENB was supported by USDA NIFA National Need Fellowship Award #20143842021796. The authors report no other conflicts of interest in this work.

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Citations

This article has been cited 11 times.
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