Familial occurrence of narcolepsy in miniature horses.
Abstract: In an investigation of 2 closely related Miniature Horses with a history of excessive sleepiness, depression and episodes of collapse, a diagnosis of narcolepsy was made on the basis of neurological examination and pharmacological testing. Further investigations included electroencephalographic examination (EEG), and analysis of protein content, cell count and monoamine metabolite concentrations of lumbosacral cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). There were no abnormalities noted in the EEGs, and no consistent changes in CSF neurotransmitter metabolites in the narcoleptic horses when compared with 3 normal, unrelated Miniature Horses and 2 related, clinically unaffected animals. The breeding background of the 2 affected horses was investigated and a limited survey of Miniature Horse breeders in North America was conducted. These investigations have shown that narcolepsy is a rare but distinct syndrome in the Miniature Horse, and that the cases described here appear to represent a familial occurrence of the disease.
Publication Date: 1993-11-01 PubMed ID: 7903939DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1993.tb02998.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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This research paper discusses a study conducted on narcolepsy in miniature horses. The study analyzed two closely related Miniature Horses which showed symptoms of excessive sleep and depression and had episodes of collapse, and diagnosed them with narcolepsy based on neurological and pharmacological tests. The study also investigated the pedigree of the horses and conducted a brief survey of North American Miniature Horse breeders.
Diagnosis of Narcolepsy
- The researchers conducted a series of neurological and pharmacological tests on the two Miniature Horses that showed symptoms of narcolepsy which include excessive sleepiness, depression, and occasional collapses.
- The diagnosis of narcolepsy was confirmed based on the results of these tests.
Further Investigations
- Further examinations were done using electroencephalographic (EEG) tests. However, no abnormalities were seen in the EEGs.
- The study also analysed the protein content, cell count, and concentrations of monoamine metabolites in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of the horses. No consistent changes in CSF neurotransmitter metabolites were observed in the narcoleptic horses when compared to normal, unrelated Miniature Horses and related, clinically unaffected animals.
Pedigree Investigation and Breeder Survey
- The research also involved looking into the breeding background of the affected horses.
- A limited survey of North American Miniature Horse breeders was also carried out.
- The results of these investigations indicated that narcolepsy is a rare but distinct syndrome in Miniature Horses, and the cases discussed in the study appear to represent a familial occurrence of the disease.
Conclusion
- The research concluded that narcolepsy, while rare, is a distinct syndrome in Miniature Horses.
- The affected horses in the study represent a familial occurrence of the disease, suggesting a possible genetic link.
Cite This Article
APA
Lunn DP, Cuddon PA, Shaftoe S, Archer RM.
(1993).
Familial occurrence of narcolepsy in miniature horses.
Equine Vet J, 25(6), 483-487.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.1993.tb02998.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Atropine
- Breeding
- Electroencephalography / veterinary
- Female
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / genetics
- Horses
- Imipramine
- Male
- Narcolepsy / diagnosis
- Narcolepsy / genetics
- Narcolepsy / veterinary
- Neostigmine
- Neurologic Examination / veterinary
- Neurotransmitter Agents / cerebrospinal fluid
- Pedigree
- Physostigmine / analogs & derivatives
Citations
This article has been cited 4 times.- Tisdale RK, Yamanaka A, Kilduff TS. Animal models of narcolepsy and the hypocretin/orexin system: Past, present, and future. Sleep 2021 Jun 11;44(6).
- Black SW, Yamanaka A, Kilduff TS. Challenges in the development of therapeutics for narcolepsy. Prog Neurobiol 2017 May;152:89-113.
- Toth LA, Bhargava P. Animal models of sleep disorders. Comp Med 2013 Apr;63(2):91-104.
- Chen L, Brown RE, McKenna JT, McCarley RW. Animal models of narcolepsy. CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets 2009 Aug;8(4):296-308.
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