Use of magnetic motor-evoked potentials in horses with bilateral hind limb ataxia.
Abstract: To determine the usefulness of magnetic motor-evoked potentials (MMEPs) for assessing the integrity of the cervical, thoracic, and thoracolumbar spinal cord in horses with bilateral hind limb ataxia. Methods: 9 horses and 1 donkey with bilateral hind limb ataxia of various degrees. Methods: The motor cortex was stimulated magnetically, and MMEPs were recorded bilaterally from the extensor carpi radialis and cranial tibial muscles. Results: In 5 horses and 1 donkey, MMEPs with normal onset latencies and peak-to-peak amplitude were recorded from the extensor carpi radialis muscles, whereas abnormal onset latencies and peak-to-peak amplitudes were recorded from the cranial tibial muscles. In these animals, a spinal cord lesion in the thoracic or thoracolumbar segments was suspected. In 4 horses, onset latencies and peak-to-peak amplitude of MMEPs recorded from the extensor carpi radialis and cranial tibial muscles were abnormal. In these horses, a cervical spinal cord lesion was suspected. Conclusions: Transcranial magnetic stimulation can be considered a valuable diagnostic tool for assessing the integrity of the spinal cord, and MMEPs may be used for differentiating thoracic or thoracolumbar spinal cord lesions from mild cervical spinal cord lesions that cause ataxia in the hind limbs only.
Publication Date: 2003-11-19 PubMed ID: 14620774DOI: 10.2460/ajvr.2003.64.1382Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
- Ataxia
- Clinical Findings
- Clinical Pathology
- Clinical Study
- Diagnosis
- Diagnostic Technique
- Disease Diagnosis
- Equine Diseases
- Equine Health
- Horses
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Musculoskeletal System
- Myography
- Nervous System
- Neurological Diseases
- Neurology
- Physiology
- Spine
- Veterinary Medicine
- Veterinary Procedure
- Veterinary Research
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 investigated the use of magnetic motor-evoked potentials (MMEPs) for diagnosing the cause of ataxia, a lack of muscle control, in the hind limbs of horses and donkeys. This technique could potentially differentiate between lesions in different parts of the spinal cord.
Methods
- For the evaluation, they used 9 horses and 1 donkey suffering from bilateral hind limb ataxia.
- Their motor cortex was stimulated magnetically.
- MMEPs were recorded from two muscles – the extensor carpi radialis (in the forelimb) and the cranial tibial muscles (in the hind limb).
Results
- In the case of 5 horses and 1 donkey, abnormal MMEPs with delayed onset latencies and altered peak-to-peak amplitude were only noticed in the cranial tibial muscles, while the MMEPs from the extensor carpi radialis muscles showed normal readings. This suggested a potential lesion in the thoracic or thoracolumbar segment of the spinal cord.
- In the remaining 4 horses, the extensor carpi radialis and cranial tibial muscles recorded abnormal MMEPs. This was indicative of a cervical spinal cord lesion.
Conclusion
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation is proven to be a valuable tool in assessing the health of the spinal cord.
- MMEPs serve as an effective method to differentiate between spinal cord lesions located in the thoracic or thoracolumbar segments, and milder lesions in the cervical spinal cord that only cause ataxia in the hind limbs.
Significance of the Study
- These findings could assist veterinarians and animal health professionals in more accurately diagnosing and treating conditions related to ataxia in horses and donkeys.
- They may also guide future studies on neuromuscular disorders and the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation as a diagnostic tool.
Cite This Article
APA
Nollet H, Van Ham L, Verschooten F, Vanderstraeten G, Deprez P.
(2003).
Use of magnetic motor-evoked potentials in horses with bilateral hind limb ataxia.
Am J Vet Res, 64(11), 1382-1386.
https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.2003.64.1382 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Biology of Large Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ghent, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Evoked Potentials, Motor / physiology
- Female
- Gait Ataxia / physiopathology
- Gait Ataxia / veterinary
- Hindlimb
- Horse Diseases / physiopathology
- Horses
- Magnetics
- Male
- Motor Neurons / physiology
- Orchiectomy
Citations
This article has been cited 5 times.- Journée SL, Journée HL, Berends HI, Reed SM, Bergmann W, de Bruijn CM, Delesalle CJG. Trapezius Motor Evoked Potentials From Transcranial Electrical Stimulation and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: Reference Data, Characteristic Differences and Intradural Motor Velocities in Horses. Front Neurosci 2022;16:851463.
- Journée SL, Journée HL, Berends HI, Reed SM, de Bruijn CM, Delesalle CJG. Comparison of Muscle MEPs From Transcranial Magnetic and Electrical Stimulation and Appearance of Reflexes in Horses. Front Neurosci 2020;14:570372.
- Rijckaert J, Raes E, Buczinski S, Dumoulin M, Deprez P, Van Ham L, van Loon G, Pardon B. Accuracy of transcranial magnetic stimulation and a Bayesian latent class model for diagnosis of spinal cord dysfunction in horses. J Vet Intern Med 2020 Mar;34(2):964-971.
- Rijckaert J, Pardon B, Saey V, Raes E, Van Ham L, Ducatelle R, van Loon G, Deprez P. Determination of magnetic motor evoked potential latency time cutoff values for detection of spinal cord dysfunction in horses. J Vet Intern Med 2019 Sep;33(5):2312-2318.
- Rijckaert J, Pardon B, Van Ham L, Joosten P, van Loon G, Deprez P. Magnetic motor evoked potentials of cervical muscles in horses. BMC Vet Res 2018 Sep 24;14(1):290.
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
