Neuropathology of the convulsive foal syndrome.
Abstract: Brains from eighteen Thoroughbred foals suffering from the convulsive foal syndrome were examined neuropathologically and compared with brains from nine foals dying from different causes. In the brains of nine convulsive foals there was necrosis of the cerebral cortex, accompanied in three by severe necrosis of the diencephalon and brain stem; haemorrhage into the cerebral cortex was also present in most of this group. In the other nine brains from convulsive foals there was haemorrhage, often severe, especially in the white and grey matter of the cerebral cortex and in the cerebellum. Minimal haemorrhage occurred in the brains of the control group of animals, except in that from one Caesarian-delivered premature foal that suffered severe haemorrhage into the brain stem and cerebellum. Both types of lesion in the convulsive foal appeared to be related to events occurring just before, during or after birth.
Publication Date: 1975-10-01 PubMed ID: 1060866
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This scientific study sought to uncover the neuropathological causes of the convulsive foal syndrome, by comparing the brains of 18 affected Thoroughbreds with those of 9 foals deceased from different reasons. The research revealed different patterns of brain damage related to this syndrome, likely linked to events around the time of birth.
Methodology and Samples
- The research involved the analysis of brain tissues from Thoroughbred foals affected by convulsive foal syndrome. A total of 18 brains were examined in the study.
- As a control group, brains from nine foals that had died from different causes were also analyzed to provide a comparative baseline in identifying any aberrations in the brains of the foals suffering from the syndrome.
Evident Brain Damage in Convulsive Foals
- In half of the affected foals (nine out of 18), a significant degree of necrosis, or cell death, was observed in the cerebral cortex. Severe necrosis was also noted in the diencephalon and brain stem of three in this group. Most of them also showed signs of cerebral cortex hemorrhage.
- In the remaining nine foals from the convulsive group, mainly hemorrhaging, often severe, was detected, particularly in the white and gray matter of the cerebral cortex and in the cerebellum.
Analysis of Control Group
- Among the brains of the control group, minimal hemorrhaging was found, emphasizing an abnormality in the brains of convulsive foals. An exception was a single brain from a prematurely delivered foal that had been delivered via a Caesarean section, which also exhibited severe hemorrhage in the brain stem and cerebellum.
Implication of Findings
- The study concludes suggesting the observed brain lesions in the convulsive foals appear to be associated with events occurring around the time of their birth, either just before, during, or shortly after.
- This might indicate that convulsive foal syndrome could potentially be caused – or at least significantly exacerbated – by circumstances related to foal birth.
Cite This Article
APA
Palmer AC, Rossdale PD.
(1975).
Neuropathology of the convulsive foal syndrome.
J Reprod Fertil Suppl(23), 691-694.
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Brain / pathology
- Cerebral Hemorrhage / pathology
- Cerebral Hemorrhage / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses
- Necrosis
- Seizures / pathology
- Seizures / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Aleman M, Chigerwe M, Varga A, Madigan JE. Steroid precursors, steroids, neuroactive steroids, and neurosteroids concentrations in serum and saliva of healthy neonatal heifer Holstein calves.. J Vet Intern Med 2020 Nov;34(6):2767-2775.
- Slauson DO, Hahn FF. Criteria for development of animal models of diseases of the respiratory system: the comparative approach in respiratory disease model development.. Am J Pathol 1980 Dec;101(3 Suppl):S103-22.
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