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Investigation of the EEG effects of intravenous lidocaine during halothane anaesthesia in ponies.
Abstract: To record the electroencephalographic changes during castration in ponies anaesthetized with halothane and given intravenous (IV) lidocaine by infusion. The hypothesis tested was that in ponies, IV lidocaine is antinociceptive and would therefore obtund EEG changes during castration. Methods: Ten Welsh mountain ponies referred to the Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Cambridge for castration under general anaesthesia. Methods: Following pre-anaesthetic medication with intramuscular acepromazine (0.02 mg kg(-1)) anaesthesia was induced with IV guaiphenesin (60 mg kg(-1)) and thiopental (9 mg kg(-1)) and maintained with halothane at an end-tidal concentration (FE'HAL) of 1.2%. A constant rate infusion of IV lidocaine (100 microg kg(-1) minute(-1)) was administered throughout anaesthesia. The electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded continuously using subcutaneous needle electrodes. All animals were castrated using a closed technique. The raw EEG signal was analysed after completion of each investigation, and the mean values of EEG variables (median frequency, spectral edge frequency, total amplitude) recorded during a baseline period (before surgery began) and the removal of each testicle were compared using anova for repeated measures. Results: Spectral edge frequency (SEF) 95% decreased during removal of the second testicle compared with baseline recordings. No other significant EEG changes during castration were measured. Conclusions: Lidocaine obtunded the EEG changes identified during castration in a previous control study, providing indirect evidence that lidocaine administered peri-operatively was antinociceptive and contributed to anaesthesia during castration. Conclusions: The antinociceptive effect of lidocaine combined with its minimal cardiovascular effects indicate a potential use for systemic lidocaine in clinical anaesthetic techniques.
Publication Date: 2005-07-13 PubMed ID: 16008718DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-2995.2005.00201.xGoogle 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.
- Clinical Trial
- 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 study was conducted to examine the impact of intravenous lidocaine on the brain activity of ponies during anesthesia and castration. The findings suggest that lidocaine minimizes changes in brain activity during this process, providing further evidence for its pain-blocking properties during surgery.
Study Overview
- The investigation involved ten Welsh mountain ponies undergoing castration at the Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Cambridge.
- Initially, the ponies were medicated with drugs to induce anaesthesia, after which they were given a constant supply of intravenous lidocaine.
- The electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded continuously throughout anaesthesia using subcutaneous needle electrodes to measure the electrical activity in the brain.
- All the ponies were castrated using a closed surgical technique.
- The study’s main goal was to record any changes in the EEG patterns during the course of the surgery and test whether intravenous lidocaine had any effect on these potential changes.
Results
- Analysis of the EEG data showed that lidocaine, contrary to what was observed in a previous control study without lidocaine, dampened the EEG changes during castration.
- This strongly suggests that lidocaine acted as an effective antinociceptive, meaning it blocked the sensory neuronal signals that convey pain.
- Specifically, the Spectral Edge Frequency at a threshold of 95% decreased during the removal of the second testicle when compared to the baseline recordings with no significant changes detected in other EEG measures.
Conclusions
- The findings provide indirect evidence suggesting the effectiveness of lidocaine as an antinociceptive agent that contributed to the overall anaesthesia during the castration procedure.
- Moreover, lidocaine displayed minimum effects on cardiovascular function, meaning it’s relatively safe for the cardiovascular health of the ponies.
- Finally, the authors inferred that because of its pain-blocking and minimal cardiovascular effects, lidocaine could potentially be utilized in clinical anaesthetic methods in veterinary medicine.
Cite This Article
APA
Murrell JC, White KL, Johnson CB, Taylor PM, Doherty TJ, Waterman-Pearson AE.
(2005).
Investigation of the EEG effects of intravenous lidocaine during halothane anaesthesia in ponies.
Vet Anaesth Analg, 32(4), 212-221.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-2995.2005.00201.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands. j.c.murrell@massey.ac.nz
MeSH Terms
- Anesthesia, General / veterinary
- Anesthetics, Inhalation / administration & dosage
- Anesthetics, Inhalation / pharmacology
- Anesthetics, Local / administration & dosage
- Anesthetics, Local / blood
- Anesthetics, Local / pharmacology
- Animals
- Blood Gas Analysis / veterinary
- Blood Pressure
- Electroencephalography / drug effects
- Halothane / administration & dosage
- Halothane / pharmacology
- Horses / physiology
- Horses / surgery
- Infusions, Intravenous / veterinary
- Intraoperative Care / veterinary
- Lidocaine / administration & dosage
- Lidocaine / blood
- Lidocaine / pharmacology
- Male
- Orchiectomy / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 13 times.- Kumar P, Abubakar AA, Sazili AQ, Kaka U, Goh YM. Application of Electroencephalography in Preslaughter Management: A Review. Animals (Basel) 2022 Oct 20;12(20).
- Imlan JC, Kaka U, Goh YM, Idrus Z, Awad EA, Abubakar AA, Ahmad T, Nizamuddin HNQ, Sazili AQ. Effects of Slaughter Knife Sharpness on Blood Biochemical and Electroencephalogram Changes in Cattle. Animals (Basel) 2020 Mar 30;10(4).
- Mellor DJ. Mouth Pain in Horses: Physiological Foundations, Behavioural Indices, Welfare Implications, and a Suggested Solution. Animals (Basel) 2020 Mar 29;10(4).
- McIlhone AE, Beausoleil NJ, Kells NJ, Mellor DJ, Johnson CB. Effects of noxious stimuli on the electroencephalogram of anaesthetised chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus). PLoS One 2018;13(4):e0196454.
- Moran-Muñoz R, Valverde A, Ibancovichi JA, Acevedo-Arcique CM, Recillas-Morales S, Sanchez-Aparicio P, Osorio-Avalos J, Chavez-Monteagudo JR. Cardiovascular effects of constant rate infusions of lidocaine, lidocaine and dexmedetomidine, and dexmedetomidine in dogs anesthetized at equipotent doses of sevoflurane. Can Vet J 2017 Jul;58(7):729-734.
- Cousillas H, Oger M, Rochais C, Pettoello C, Ménoret M, Henry S, Hausberger M. An Ambulatory Electroencephalography System for Freely Moving Horses: An Innovating Approach. Front Vet Sci 2017;4:57.
- Williams DC, Brosnan RJ, Fletcher DJ, Aleman M, Holliday TA, Tharp B, Kass PH, LeCouteur RA, Steffey EP. Qualitative and Quantitative Characteristics of the Electroencephalogram in Normal Horses during Administration of Inhaled Anesthesia. J Vet Intern Med 2016 Jan-Feb;30(1):289-303.
- Kaka U, Hui Cheng C, Meng GY, Fakurazi S, Kaka A, Behan AA, Ebrahimi M. Electroencephalographic changes associated with antinociceptive actions of lidocaine, ketamine, meloxicam, and morphine administration in minimally anaesthetized dogs. Biomed Res Int 2015;2015:305367.
- Nóbrega Neto PI, Luna SP, Queiroz-Williams P, Mama KR, Steffey EP, Carregaro AB. Cardiorespiratory and antinociceptive effects of two different doses of lidocaine administered to horses during a constant intravenous infusion of xylazine and ketamine. BMC Vet Res 2013 Oct 9;9:199.
- Figueroa S, Levionnois OL, Mirra A. Quantitative Variables Derived from the Electroencephalographic Signal to Assess Depth of Anaesthesia in Animals: A Narrative Review. Animals (Basel) 2025 Aug 5;15(15).
- Straticò P, Guerri G, Bandera L, Celani G, Di Nunzio L, Petrizzi L, Varasano V. Comparison of Xylazine and Lidocaine Infusion versus Medetomidine Continuous Rate Infusion during General Anesthesia with Isoflurane in Horses Undergoing Emergency Laparotomy. Vet Sci 2024 Apr 29;11(5).
- Lambertini C, Spaccini F, Mazzanti A, Spadari A, Lanci A, Romagnoli N. Lidocaine constant rate infusion in isoflurane anesthetized neonatal foals. Front Vet Sci 2023;10:1304868.
- Khannejad M, Keramat M, Imani Rastabi H, Naddaf H, Mosallanejad B. Effect of lidocaine, fentanyl, or dexmedetomidine on minimum infusion rate and cardiorespiratory variables in dogs undergoing ketofol total intravenous anesthesia. Iran J Vet Res 2023;24(2):102-109.
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