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Home / Equine Research Bank / J Am Vet Med Assoc / Postmortem diagnoses of spinal ataxia in 316 horses in Calif...
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association2021; 258(12); 1386-1393; doi: 10.2460/javma.258.12.1386

Postmortem diagnoses of spinal ataxia in 316 horses in California.

Abstract: To determine period prevalences of postmortem diagnoses for spinal cord or vertebral column lesions as underlying causes of ataxia (spinal ataxia) in horses. Methods: 2,861 client-owned horses (316 with ataxia [ataxic group] and 2,545 without ataxia [control group]). Methods: The medical records database of the University of California-Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital was searched to identify horses necropsied between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2017. Results were compared between the ataxic and control groups and between various groups of horses in the ataxic group. Period prevalences were determined for the most common causes of ataxia. Results: 2,861 horses underwent full necropsy, and the period prevalences for the most common definitive diagnoses for ataxia were 2.7% (77/2,861) for cervical vertebral compressive myelopathy (CVCM), 1.3% (38/2,861) for equine neuroaxonal dystrophy or equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (eNAD-EDM), and 0.9% (25/2,861) for trauma; the period prevalence of ataxia of unknown origin was 2.0% (56/2,861). Horses in the ataxic group (vs the control group) were more likely to have been warmblood horses (OR, 2.70) and less likely to have been Arabian horses (OR, 0.53). In the ataxic group, horses < 5 (vs ≥ 5) years of age had greater odds of CVCM (OR, 2.82) or eNAD-EDM (OR, 6.17) versus trauma or ataxia of unknown origin. Horses in the ataxic group with CVCM were more likely Thoroughbreds (OR, 2.54), whereas horses with eNAD-EDM were more likely American Quarter Horses (OR, 2.95) and less likely Thoroughbreds (OR, 0.11). Conclusions: Results indicated that breed distributions differed for horses with CVCM versus eNAD-EDM; therefore, breed should be considered in the clinical evaluation of spinal ataxia in horses.
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Publication Date: 2021-06-02 PubMed ID: 34061609PubMed Central: PMC8262099DOI: 10.2460/javma.258.12.1386Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • 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 is a retrospective study investigating the causes of spinal ataxia in horses over a period of time. It primarily focuses on postmortem diagnoses in California and examines correlations with age and breed type, highlighting breed as an influential factor in clinical evaluations.

Research Methodology

  • The researchers sourced medical records from the University of California-Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. The period under review spanned January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2017.
  • A total of 2,861 horses’ postmortem records were analyzed, which were then divided into two groups: 316 with ataxia (ataxic group) and 2,545 without ataxia (control group).

Results and Findings

  • The study found that the period prevalences for the most common definitive diagnoses for ataxia were 2.7% for cervical vertebral compressive myelopathy (CVCM), 1.3% for equine neuroaxonal dystrophy or equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (eNAD-EDM), and 0.9% for trauma. Ataxia of unknown origin presented a period prevalence of 2.0%.
  • In terms of breed, Warmblood horses were more likely to be in the ataxic group than Arabian horses.
  • In the ataxic group, horses younger than 5 years of age had greater odds of having CVCM or eNAD-EDM compared to trauma or ataxia of unknown origin.
  • Stereotypically, Thoroughbreds were more likely to suffer from CVCM, while American Quarter Horses were more prone to eNAD-EDM.

Conclusion

  • The research concludes that breed distributions varied in cases of CVCM and eNAD-EDM. This suggests that breed should be an essential consideration during clinical evaluations of spinal ataxia in horses.
  • The study provides a significant understanding of the prevalence of spinal ataxia in horses, contributing to improved vetinary practices, diagnostics and treatment approaches for the condition.

Cite This Article

APA
Hales EN, Aleman M, Marquardt SA, Katzman SA, Woolard KD, Miller AD, Finno CJ. (2021). Postmortem diagnoses of spinal ataxia in 316 horses in California. J Am Vet Med Assoc, 258(12), 1386-1393. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.258.12.1386

Publication

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
ISSN: 1943-569X
NlmUniqueID: 7503067
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 258
Issue: 12
Pages: 1386-1393

Researcher Affiliations

Hales, Erin N
    Aleman, Monica
      Marquardt, Sabin A
        Katzman, Scott A
          Woolard, Kevin D
            Miller, Andrew D
              Finno, Carrie J

                MeSH Terms

                • Animals
                • Ataxia / epidemiology
                • Ataxia / etiology
                • Ataxia / veterinary
                • California / epidemiology
                • Horse Diseases / diagnosis
                • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
                • Horses
                • Neuroaxonal Dystrophies / veterinary
                • Spinal Cord Compression / veterinary

                Grant Funding

                • K01 OD015134 / NIH HHS
                • L40 TR001136 / NCATS NIH HHS

                Conflict of Interest Statement

                The authors declare that there were no conflicts of interest.

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                Citations

                This article has been cited 4 times.
                1. Finno CJ, Rogers SL, Donnelly CG, Affolter VK, Woolard K, Miller AD, Bellone RR, Petersen JL. Spatial transcriptomics defines the cell-specific RNA landscape of equine dorsal root ganglia. Vet Pathol 2025 Jul;62(4):546-554.
                  doi: 10.1177/03009858241312623pubmed: 39916473google scholar: lookup
                2. Willis AT, Dahlgren AR, Woolard KD, Ghosh S, Donnelly CG, de la Concha-Bermejillo A, Pacheco A, Watson KD, Berryhill E, Aleman M, Wensley F, Humphreys S, Whitehead AE, Goldsmith D, Chesen B, Ragsdale J, Tompkins JE, Nash R, Plunkett AH, Qualls HJ, Rodriguez K, Hochanadel D, Miller AD, Finno CJ. Clinicopathological and pedigree investigation of a novel spinocerebellar neurological disease in juvenile Quarter Horses in North America. J Vet Intern Med 2024 May-Jun;38(3):1808-1814.
                  doi: 10.1111/jvim.17049pubmed: 38669583google scholar: lookup
                3. Powers A, Peek SF, Reed S, Donnelly CG, Tinkler S, Gasper D, Woolard KD, Finno CJ. Equine neuroaxonal dystrophy/degenerative myeloencephalopathy in Gypsy Vanner horses. J Vet Intern Med 2024 May-Jun;38(3):1792-1798.
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                4. Ma Y, Peng S, Donnelly CG, Ghosh S, Miller AD, Woolard K, Finno CJ. Genetic polymorphisms in vitamin E transport genes as determinants for risk of equine neuroaxonal dystrophy. J Vet Intern Med 2024 Jan-Feb;38(1):417-423.
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