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Journal of veterinary internal medicine2024; doi: 10.1111/jvim.17174

Parasympathetic tone activity, heart rate, and grimace scale in conscious horses of 3 breeds before, during, and after nociceptive mechanical stimulation.

Abstract: Parasympathetic tone activity (PTA) in response to nociceptive stimulus in conscious non-sedated horses is unknown. Objective: Study PTA, heart rate (HR), and horse grimace scale (HGS) at rest and during mechanical nociceptive stimulation. Methods: Ninety healthy young adult horses (females, males): 30 each of Friesians, Quarter Horses, and Warmbloods. Methods: Prospective control study. The study consisted of habituation to equipment (Day 1), baseline recordings (Days 2 and 3), and nociceptive testing applying mild pressure to the metacarpus (Day 4). Parasympathetic tone, HR, and HGS were recorded simultaneously on Days 2 to 4. Each study lasted 30 minutes and was done in triplicate at 3 different time points per day. Results: Baseline PTA was not different among breeds. It decreased in Warmbloods and Quarter Horses during placement of the stimulus device without stimulation (P < .01). A significant decrease in PTA (P < .001) occurred during nociceptive stimulus (marked in Quarter Horses, intermediate in Warmbloods, and mild in Friesians). Heart rate and HGS increased significantly (P < .001) during the stimulus in all breeds but returned to baseline poststimulation. Friesians required higher pressure (P < .05) to elicit an aversive response to the stimulus. Conclusions: Horses' PTA, HR, and HGS change in response to a mild mechanical nociceptive stimulus with Friesians showing less variation. Stress induced a decrease in PTA in Quarter Horses and Warmbloods but not in Friesians. Friesians appeared to be more tolerant to pain based on PTA, HR, and HGS findings compared with other breeds.
© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
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Publication Date: 2024-08-16 PubMed ID: 39150630DOI: 10.1111/jvim.17174Google 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.

This research article investigates how parasympathetic tone activity (PTA), heart rate, and; the horse grimace scale (HGS) changes in response to a mild pain stimulus in three breeds of horses. The results show that these physiological and behavioral indicators change during the pain stimulus and that Friesians show a lesser response, indicating that they may be more tolerant of pain.

Objective and Methodology

  • The primary goal of the study was to understand how the PTA – the activity level of the parasympathetic nervous system, heart rate (HR), and grimace scale (a measure of pain or discomfort based on facial expressions) in horses would change in response to a mild pain stimulus.
  • The research was conducted on ninety healthy young adult horses from three breeds – Friesians, Quarter Horses, and Warmbloods. In each breed, both males and females were included in the study.
  • The study was designed as a controlled prospective study with four key phases: habituation to the equipment, baseline recordings, and nociceptive testing wherein light pressure was applied to the metacarpus (a part of a horse’s leg).
  • The researchers recorded PTA, HR, and HGS simultaneously over three days during the baseline and testing phase. Each experimental session lasted for 30 minutes and was repeated three times at different times of the day.

Results

  • The study found that the baseline PTA was the same across all three breeds. However, there was a decrease in PTA when the stimulus device was placed on Warmbloods and Quarter Horses, even before the stimulus was applied.
  • All breeds showed a significant decrease in PTA during the application of the nociceptive stimulus. This decrease was most marked in Quarter Horses, intermediate in Warmbloods, and mild in Friesians.
  • Heart rate and HGS significantly increased in all breeds during the application of the stimulus but returned to baseline post-stimulation.
  • Friesians required a higher level of pressure to evoke a response to the stimulus, suggesting that they might be more tolerant to pain.

Conclusions

  • The study concluded that PTA, HR, and HGS in horses change in response to a mild pain stimulus and that these changes are breed-specific.
  • The stress of the procedure led to a decrease in PTA in two breeds (Quarter Horses and Warmbloods) but not in Friesians.
  • Based on the measures of PTA, HR, and HGS, Friesians appeared to be more tolerant to pain compared to the other two breeds examined in the study.

Cite This Article

APA
Flores JEM, Terrazas A, Lara Sagahon AV, Aleman M. (2024). Parasympathetic tone activity, heart rate, and grimace scale in conscious horses of 3 breeds before, during, and after nociceptive mechanical stimulation. J Vet Intern Med. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.17174

Publication

Journal of veterinary internal medicine
ISSN: 1939-1676
NlmUniqueID: 8708660
Country: United States
Language: English

Researcher Affiliations

Flores, Jorge Eduardo Mendoza
  • Department of Livestock Sciences, Faculty of Higher Studies, Cuautitlan, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico.
  • Doctorate in Animal Production and Health Sciences, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico.
Terrazas, Angelica
  • Department of Livestock Sciences, Faculty of Higher Studies, Cuautitlan, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico.
Lara Sagahon, Alma V
  • Department of Livestock Sciences, Faculty of Higher Studies, Cuautitlan, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico.
Aleman, Monica
  • Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA.

Grant Funding

  • FESC-UNAM-CI2245 / UNAM-DGAPA-PAPIIT IN224220
  • V435AM2 / Equine and Comparative Neurology Research Group

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Citations

This article has been cited 1 times.
  1. Mota-Rojas D, Whittaker AL, Coria-Avila GA, Martínez-Burnes J, Mora-Medina P, Domínguez-Oliva A, Hernández-Avalos I, Olmos-Hernández A, Verduzco-Mendoza A, Casas-Alvarado A, Grandin T. How facial expressions reveal acute pain in domestic animals with facial pain scales as a diagnostic tool. Front Vet Sci 2025;12:1546719.
    doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1546719pubmed: 40104548google scholar: lookup
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