FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / Front Neurosci / Evaluation of the diagnostic value of transcranial electrica...
Frontiers in neuroscience2024; 18; 1342803; doi: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1342803

Evaluation of the diagnostic value of transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) to assess neuronal functional integrity in horses.

Abstract: Medical imaging allows for the visualization of spinal cord compression sites; however, it is impossible to assess the impact of visible stenotic sites on neuronal functioning, which is crucial information to formulate a correct prognosis and install targeted therapy. It is hypothesized that with the transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) technique, neurological impairment can be reliably diagnosed. Unassigned: To evaluate the ability of the TES technique to assess neuronal functional integrity in ataxic horses by recording TES-induced muscular evoked potentials (MEPs) in three different muscles and to structurally involve multiple ancillary diagnostic techniques, such as clinical neurological examination, plain radiography (RX) with ratio assessment, contrast myelography, and post-mortem gross and histopathological examination. Unassigned: Nine ataxic horses, showing combined fore and hindlimb ataxia (grades 2-4), were involved, together with 12 healthy horses. TES-induced MEPs were recorded bilaterally at the level of the trapezius (TR), the extensor carpi radialis (ECR), and tibialis cranialis (TC) muscles. Two Board-certified radiologists evaluated intra- and inter-sagittal diameter ratios on RX, reductions of dorsal contrast columns, and dural diameters (range skull-T1). Post-mortem gross pathological and segmental histopathological examination was also performed by a Board-certified pathologist. Unassigned: TES-MEP latencies were significantly prolonged in both ECR and TC in all ataxic horses as opposed to the healthy horses. The TR showed a mixed pattern of normal and prolonged latency times. TES-MEP amplitudes were the least discriminative between healthy and ataxic horses. Youden's cutoff latencies for ataxic horses were 24.6 ms for the ECR and 45.5 ms for the TC (sensitivity and specificity of 100%). For healthy horses, maximum latency values were 22 and 37 ms, respectively. RX revealed spinal cord compression in 8 out of 9 involved ataxic horses with positive predictive values of 0-100%. All ataxic horses showed multi-segmental Wallerian degeneration. All pathological changes recorded in the white matter of the spinal cord were widely dispersed across all cervical segments, whereas gray matter damage was more localized at the specific segmental level. Unassigned: TES-MEP latencies are highly sensitive to detect impairment of spinal cord motor functions for mild-to-severe ataxia (grades 2-4).
Copyright © 2024 Journée, Journée, Bergmann, Chantziaras, Vanderperren, Raes, Reed, de Bruijn, Berends and Delesalle.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2024-04-11 PubMed ID: 38665290PubMed Central: PMC11043471DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1342803Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • 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.

The research paper examines the use of transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) to measure neuronal functional integrity in horses with ataxia. The study found that the TES technique with muscular evoked potentials (MEPs) recording was able to distinguish healthy horses from ataxic horses and thus can be used as an effective diagnostic tool for spinal cord impairments.

Methodology

  • The researchers used nine ataxic horses and twelve healthy horses for the study.
  • TES-induced MEPs were recorded in three different muscles: trapezius (TR), extensor carpi radialis (ECR), and tibialis cranialis (TC).
  • Two certified radiologists evaluated intra- and inter-sagittal diameter ratios using plain radiography (RX).
  • They also checked reductions of dorsal contrast columns and dural diameters from the skull to T1 vertebra.
  • Post-mortem gross pathological and segmental histopathological examination was also conducted by a certified pathologist.

Findings

  • TES-MEP latencies, or the delay before occurrence of a response, were significantly prolonged in both ECR and TC muscles in all ataxic horses compared to healthy horses. The TR muscle showed a mixed pattern of normal and prolonged latency times.
  • TES-MEP amplitudes, or the size of a response, were not as useful in differentiating between ataxic and healthy horses.
  • Youden’s cutoff latencies for ataxic horses were 24.6 ms for the ECR and 45.5 ms for the TC, with a sensitivity and specificity rate of 100%. For healthy horses, the maximum latency values were shorter, at 22 and 37 ms respectively.
  • Plain Radiography (RX) revealed spinal cord compression in 8 out of 9 involved ataxic horses. The positive predictive values varied from 0-100%.
  • All ataxic horses showed multi-segmental Wallerian degeneration, a form of nerve degeneration resulting from damage to the neuron.
  • Pathological changes in the white matter of the spinal cord were widely present across all cervical segments. Damage to the gray matter was more localized at the specific segmental level.

Conclusions

  • The researchers concluded that TES-MEP latencies are a sensitive measure to detect impairment of spinal cord motor functions in horses exhibiting mild to severe ataxia.
  • TES-MEP can therefore be utilized effectively as a diagnostic tool for ataxic conditions in horses.

Cite This Article

APA
Journée SL, Journée HL, Bergmann W, Chantziaras I, Vanderperren K, Raes E, Reed SM, de Bruijn CM, Berends HI, Delesalle CJG. (2024). Evaluation of the diagnostic value of transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) to assess neuronal functional integrity in horses. Front Neurosci, 18, 1342803. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2024.1342803

Publication

Frontiers in neuroscience
ISSN: 1662-4548
NlmUniqueID: 101478481
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 18
Pages: 1342803
PII: 1342803

Researcher Affiliations

Journée, Sanne Lotte
  • Equine Diagnostics, Wijns, Netherlands.
  • Department of Translational Physiology, Infectiology and Public Health, Research Group of Comparative Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
Journée, Henricus Louis
  • Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands.
  • Department of Orthopedics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.
  • Department of Orthopedics, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Bergmann, Wilhelmina
  • Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Division of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.
Chantziaras, Ilias
  • Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
Vanderperren, Katrien
  • Department of Morphology, Imaging, Orthopedics, Rehabilitation and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
Raes, Els
  • Department of Morphology, Imaging, Orthopedics, Rehabilitation and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
Reed, Stephen Michael
  • Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, Lexington, KY, United States.
  • Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States.
de Bruijn, Cornelis Marinus
  • Wolvega Equine Clinic, Oldeholtpade, Netherlands.
Berends, Hanneke Irene
  • Department of Orthopedics, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Delesalle, Cathérine John Ghislaine
  • Department of Translational Physiology, Infectiology and Public Health, Research Group of Comparative Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

References

This article includes 34 references
  1. Andrews FM, Adair HS. Anatomy and physiology of the nervous system. 1999;405–412.
  2. Bailey J, Bowen IM, Anghileri B, Baiker K, Henson FMD. Unilateral degenerative joint disease of a cervical articular process joint between the fourth and fifth cervical vertebrae causing asymmetrical ataxia in a young horse. Equine Vet. Educ. 2022;34:E268–E273.
    doi: 10.1111/eve.13579google scholar: lookup
  3. Bedenice D, Johnson AL. Neurologic conditions in the sport horse. Anim. Front. Rev. Mag. Anim. Agric. 2022;12:37–44.
    doi: 10.1093/af/vfac036pmc: PMC9197298pubmed: 35711509google scholar: lookup
  4. De Lahunta A. Veterinary neuroanatomy and clinical neurology. 1983.
  5. Duncan ID, Schneider RK, Hammang JP. Subclinical entrapment neuropathy of the equine suprascapular nerve. Acta Neuropathol. 1987;74:53–61.
    doi: 10.1007/BF00688338pubmed: 3661120google scholar: lookup
  6. Einarson L. Deposits of fluorescent acid-fast products in the nervous system and skeletal muscles of rats with chronic vitamin-E deficiency. J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry 1953;16:98–109.
    doi: 10.1136/jnnp.16.2.98pmc: PMC503120pubmed: 13053230google scholar: lookup
  7. Estell K, Spriet M, Phillips KL, Aleman M, Finno CJ. Current dorsal myelographic column and dural diameter reduction rules do not apply at the cervicothoracic junction in horses. Vet. Radiol. Ultrasound 2018;59:662–666.
    doi: 10.1111/VRU.12662pmc: PMC6218286pubmed: 29998490google scholar: lookup
  8. Finno CJ, Miller AD, Sisó S, Divers T, Gianino G, Barro MV. Concurrent equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy and equine motor neuron disease in three young horses. J. Vet. Intern. Med. 2016;30:1344–1350.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.13977pmc: PMC5089576pubmed: 27298214google scholar: lookup
  9. Garrett KS. Special diagnostic techniques in equine neurology (radiography, ultrasonography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging). Vet. Clin. North Am. Equine Pract. 2022;38:171–188.
    doi: 10.1016/j.cveq.2022.04.001pubmed: 35810148google scholar: lookup
  10. Hahn CN, Handel I, Green SL, Bronsvoort MB, Mayhew IG. Assessment of the utility of using intra-and intervertebral minimum sagittal diameter ratios in the diagnosis of cervical vertebral malformation in horses. Vet. Radiol. Ultrasound 2008;49:1–6.
    doi: 10.1111/j.1740-8261.2007.00308.xpubmed: 18251286google scholar: lookup
  11. Hoey S, Stokes D, McAllister H, Puggioni A, Skelly C. A systematic review evaluating the use of ultrasound in the identification of osteochondrosis in horses. Vet. J. 2022;282:105825.
    doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2022.105825pubmed: 35381440google scholar: lookup
  12. Hughes KJ, Laidlaw EH, Reed SM, Keen J, Abbott JB, Trevail T. Repeatability and intra-and inter-observer agreement of cervical vertebral sagittal diameter ratios in horses with neurological disease. J. Vet. Intern. Med. 2014;28:1860–1870.
    doi: 10.1111/JVIM.12431pmc: PMC4895627pubmed: 25410955google scholar: lookup
  13. Janes JG, Garrett KS, Mcquerry KJ, Pease AP, Williams NM, Reed SM. Comparison of magnetic resonance imaging with standing cervical radiographs for evaluation of vertebral canal stenosis in equine cervical stenotic myelopathy. Equine Vet. J. 2014;46:681–686.
    doi: 10.1111/evj.12221pubmed: 24329734google scholar: lookup
  14. Journée SL, Journée HL, de Bruijn CM, Delesalle CJG. Multipulse transcranial electrical stimulation (TES): normative data for motor evoked potentials in healthy horses. BMC Vet. Res. 2018;14:121–129.
    doi: 10.1186/s12917-018-1447-7pmc: PMC5883272pubmed: 29615034google scholar: lookup
  15. Levine JMJ, Adam E, MacKay RJR, Walker MA, Frederick JD, Cohen ND. Confirmed and presumptive cervical vertebral compressive myelopathy in older horses: a retrospective study (1992–2004). J. Vet. Intern. Med. 2007;21:812–819.
    doi: 10.1892/0891-6640(2007)21[812,capcvc]2.0.co;2pubmed: 17708404google scholar: lookup
  16. Levine JM, Scrivani PV, Divers TJ, Furr M, Joe Mayhew I, Reed S. Multicenter case-control study of signalment, diagnostic features, and outcome associated with cervical vertebral malformation-malarticulation in horses. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 2010;237:812–822.
    doi: 10.2460/JAVMA.237.7.812pubmed: 20919847google scholar: lookup
  17. Lindgren CMC, Wright L, Kristoffersen M, Puchalski SM. Computed tomography and myelography of the equine cervical spine: 180 cases (2013–2018). Equine Vet. Educ. 2020;33:475–483.
    doi: 10.1111/eve.13350google scholar: lookup
  18. MacDonald DB, Skinner S, Shils J, Yingling C. Intraoperative motor evoked potential monitoring - a position statement by the American Society of Neurophysiological Monitoring. Clin. Neurophysiol. 2013;124:2291–2316.
    doi: 10.1016/j.clinph.2013.07.025pubmed: 24055297google scholar: lookup
  19. Marks D. Cervical nerve root impingement in a horse, treated by epidural injection of corticosteroids. J. Equine Vet. 1999;19:399–401.
    doi: 10.1016/S0737-0806(99)80304-9google scholar: lookup
  20. Mayhew IG, DeLahunta A, Whitlock RH, Krook L, Tasker JB. Spinal cord disease in the horse. Cornell Vet. 1978;68:1–207.
    pubmed: 618720
  21. Mayhew IG, Washbourne JR. Magnetic motor evoked potentials in ponies. J. Vet. Intern. Med. 1996;10:326–329.
    doi: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.1996.tb02071.xpubmed: 8884720google scholar: lookup
  22. Nout YS, Reed SM. Cervical vertebral stenotic myelopathy. Equine Vet. Educ. 2003;15:212–223.
    doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3292.2003.tb00246.xgoogle scholar: lookup
  23. Pillai SR, Traber MG, Kayden HJ, Cox NR, Toivio-Kinnucan M, Wright JC. Concomitant brainstem axonal dystrophy and necrotizing myopathy in vitamin E-deficient rats. J. Neurol. Sci. 1994;123:64–73.
    doi: 10.1016/0022-510x(94)90205-4pubmed: 8064324google scholar: lookup
  24. Powers BE, Stashak TS, Nixon AJ, Yovich JV, Norrdin RW. Pathology of the vertebral column of horses with cervical static stenosis. Vet. Pathol. 1986;23:392–399.
    doi: 10.1177/030098588602300408pubmed: 3750733google scholar: lookup
  25. Ricardi G, Dyson SJ. Forelimb lameness associated with radiographic abnormalities of the cervical vertebrae. Equine Vet. J. 1993;25:422–426.
    doi: 10.1111/J.2042-3306.1993.TB02984.Xpubmed: 8223374google scholar: lookup
  26. Rijckaert J, Pardon B, Saey V, Raes E, Van Ham L, Ducatelle R. Determination of magnetic motor evoked potential latency time cutoff values for detection of spinal cord dysfunction in horses. J. Vet. Intern. Med. 2019;33:2312–2318.
    doi: 10.1111/JVIM.15576pmc: PMC6766509pubmed: 31490026google scholar: lookup
  27. Rovel T, Zimmerman M, Duchateau L, Adriaensen E, Mariën T, Saunders JH. Computed tomographic myelography for assessment of the cervical spinal cord in ataxic warmblood horses: 26 cases (2015–2017). J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 2021;259:1188–1195.
    doi: 10.2460/javma.20.11.0614pubmed: 34727080google scholar: lookup
  28. Scrivani PV, Levine JM, Holmes NL, Furr M, Divers TJ, Cohen ND. Observer agreement study of cervical-vertebral ratios in horses. Equine Vet. J. 2011;43:399–403.
    doi: 10.1111/J.2042-3306.2010.00300.Xpubmed: 21496073google scholar: lookup
  29. Sleutjens J, Cooley AJ, Sampson SN, Wijnberg ID, Back W, van der Kolk JH. The equine cervical spine: comparing MRI and contrast-enhanced CT images with anatomic slices in the sagittal, dorsal, and transverse plane. Vet. Q. 2014;34:74–84.
    doi: 10.1080/01652176.2014.951129pubmed: 25174534google scholar: lookup
  30. Summers BA, Cummings JF, DeLahunta A. Veterinary neuropathology. 1995.
  31. Van Biervliet J. An evidence-based approach to clinical questions in the practice of equine neurology. Vet. Clin. North Am. Equine Pract. 2007;23:317–328.
    doi: 10.1016/j.cveq.2007.03.009pubmed: 17616316google scholar: lookup
  32. Van Biervliet J, Scrivani PV, Divers TJ, Erb HN, de Lahunta A, Nixon A. Evaluation of decision criteria for detection of spinal cord compression based on cervical myelography in horses: 38 cases (1981-2001). Equine Vet. J. 2004;36:14–20.
    doi: 10.2746/0425164044864642pubmed: 14756366google scholar: lookup
  33. Wagner PC, Grant BD, Reed SM. Cervical vertebral malformations. Vet. Clin. North Am. Equine Pract. 1987;3:385–396.
    doi: 10.1016/S0749-0739(17)30681-8pubmed: 3304571google scholar: lookup
  34. Yovich JV, LeCouteur RA, Gould DH. Chronic cervical compressive myelopathy in horses: clinical correlations with spinal cord alterations. Aust. Vet. J. 1991;68:326–334.
    doi: 10.1111/j.1751-0813.1991.tb03091.xpubmed: 1755784google scholar: lookup

Citations

This article has been cited 0 times.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,359 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.