The use of magnetic motor evoked potentials in horses with cervical spinal cord disease.

This study investigates if using magnetic motor evoked potentials are helpful in diagnosing horses with spinal cord lesions in their neck. Tests performed on 12 horses with ataxia showed significantly different results than in healthy horses, suggesting that this is a useful diagnostic technique.

Objective of the Study

• The primary goal of this research was to explore the effectiveness of using magnetic motor evoked potentials as an additional diagnostic method in horses suffering from cervical spinal cord lesions.

Methodology

• The researchers used transcranial magnetic stimulation on 12 horses that showed signs of ataxia, a condition marked by a lack of voluntary coordination of muscle movements.
• The responses evoked by this stimulation were carefully studied and compared with responses from normal horses.

Key Findings

• In the 12 ataxic horses, the latency (delay before the start of the response) and peak-to-peak amplitude (the max height of the wave indicating electrical activity) of the potentials were significantly different from the ones measured in normal horses.
• The abnormal potentials also displayed a polyphasic configuration, meaning they appeared in multiple phases or parts, unlike the usual response.
• Interestingly, none of the horses tested showed a return to normal evoked potentials even after a period of clinical improvement.
• The technique was also found to be successful in identifying lesions in horses with subtle signs of incoordination, reinforcing its diagnostic capability.

Conclusions

• The study concluded that magnetic transcranial stimulation is a valuable additional test for assessing the integrity of the motor tracts in horses.
• This method is not only safe and painless but also exhibits high sensitivity towards detecting any lesions along the descending motor pathways in horses.