Spectral analysis of respiratory noise in horses with upper airway disorders.
Abstract: It has long been recognised that the production of abnormal respiratory sounds by horses during exercise is frequently associated with upper airway obstructions. Respiratory acoustic measurements have shown promise in investigation of upper airway disorders in man and, more recently, in horses with experimentally-induced obstructions. Objective: To evaluate sounds from exercising horses with naturally occurring dynamic obstructions of the upper respiratory tract and to compare these with those from normal horses in order to determine whether different obstructions produce characteristic spectral patterns. Methods: The audio signal, airflow and videoendoscopic images were recorded simultaneously during an incremental exercise test on a high-speed treadmill. Results: Spectral analysis of the audio signal showed marked differences between control and clinically afflicted horses. Dorsal displacement of the soft palate was characterised by a narrow low frequency (20-80 Hz) peak during expiration. Horses with dynamic laryngeal collapse produced inspiratory sounds characterised by a broad band high frequency spectral component in the range 1.1-2.7 kHz. Conclusions: Spectral analysis of respiratory sounds in horses has potential as a diagnostic technique for field use especially when facilities for high-speed treadmill assessment are not practicable.
Publication Date: 2003-05-21 PubMed ID: 12755429DOI: 10.2746/042516403776148228Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Clinical Findings
- Clinical Study
- Comparative Study
- Diagnosis
- Diagnostic Technique
- Disease Diagnosis
- Disease Etiology
- Equine Diseases
- Equine Health
- Exercise
- Exercise Physiology
- Horses
- Laryngeal Dysfunction
- Pathology
- Respiratory Disease
- Respiratory Health
- Spectroscopy
- Treadmill Exercise
- Veterinary Medicine
- Veterinary Research
Summary
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This research article examines the use of spectral analysis of respiratory sounds in identifying upper airway obstructions in horses. By comparing sounds from healthy horses with those of horses suffering from different obstructions, the study aims to determine whether each disorder produces a unique spectral pattern.
Research Objective and Methodology
- The primary goal of this study was to understand if respiratory sounds, recorded during exercise, varied between healthy horses and those suffering from natural dynamic obstructions in their upper respiratory tracts.
- The authors aimed to discover whether unique spectral patterns emerged from different types of airway obstructions. This could pave the way for a more sophisticated acoustic diagnostic technique.
- In the methodology used, horses were put through an incremental exercise test on a high-speed treadmill and their respirations were audio-recorded. This data was complemented with videoendoscopy – a technique using a flexible camera to visualize the airway – and airflow measurements at the same time.
Findings
- In general, the spectral analysis of the sounds demonstrated distinct differences between healthy horses and those with upper airway issues.
- Specifically, horses with dorsal displacement of the soft palate (a condition where the soft part of the roof of the mouth slides into the airway) showed a narrow low-frequency peak (between 20-80 Hz) during breathing out.
- Conversely, horses experiencing dynamic laryngeal collapse (a condition causing intermittent obstruction in the horse’s airway) produced breathing in sounds at a wider, high frequency range (between 1.1-2.7 kHz).
Conclusion
- Spectral analysis of horses’ respiratory sounds offers potential as a diagnostic tool in field conditions, particularly where high-speed treadmill assessments would not be feasible. The study signals a significant development in equine medicine by leveraging acoustic diagnostic techniques previously used on humans.
Cite This Article
APA
Franklin SH, Usmar SG, Lane JG, Shuttleworth J, Burn JF.
(2003).
Spectral analysis of respiratory noise in horses with upper airway disorders.
Equine Vet J, 35(3), 264-268.
https://doi.org/10.2746/042516403776148228 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Equine Sports Medicine Centre, Department of Anatomy, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol BS40 5DU, UK.
MeSH Terms
- Airway Obstruction / diagnosis
- Airway Obstruction / physiopathology
- Airway Obstruction / veterinary
- Animals
- Diagnosis, Differential
- Exercise Test / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / physiopathology
- Horses
- Male
- Palate, Soft / pathology
- Physical Conditioning, Animal / physiology
- Respiratory Sounds / diagnosis
- Respiratory Sounds / physiology
- Respiratory Sounds / physiopathology
- Respiratory Sounds / veterinary
- Respiratory Tract Diseases / diagnosis
- Respiratory Tract Diseases / physiopathology
- Respiratory Tract Diseases / veterinary
- Spectrum Analysis / methods
- Spectrum Analysis / veterinary
- Tape Recording
- Video Recording
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