EEG based assessment of stress in horses: a pilot study.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: de Camp NV
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7227666 | biostudies-literature | 2020
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
EEG based assessment of stress in horses: a pilot study.
de Camp Nora V NV Ladwig-Wiegard Mechthild M Geitner Carola I E CIE Bergeler Jürgen J Thöne-Reineke Christa C
PeerJ 20200512
As has been hypothesized more than 20 years ago, data derived from Electroencephalography (EEG) measurements can be used to distinguish between behavioral states associated with animal welfare. In our current study we found a high degree of correlation between the modulation index of phase related amplitude changes in the EEG of horses (<i>n</i> = 6 measurements with three different horses, mare and gelding) and their facial expression, measured by the use of the horse grimace scale. Furthermore ...[more]
Similar Datasets
Project description:Objective: The main goal of this study is to clarify the electroencephalogram (EEG) characteristics of the stress response caused by vestibular endurance training under real conditions. Methods: Ten pilot trainees received a series of acute anti-vertigo training stimulations on the rotary ladder while recording electroencephalographic data (64 electrodes). Afterward, the anti-vertigo ability of the subject was tested for the best performance after 1 month of training and verified whether it is related to the EEG signals we collected before. Results: (1) The absolute power of α waves in the C3 and C4 regions is the same as the difference between 1 min before and 2 min after stimulation, and their activity is enhanced by stimulation. Otherwise, the activation of the C3 region after 5 min of stimulation is still significantly changed. (2) Through Spearman's correlation analysis, we found that the α waves in the C3 and C4 the greater the power change, the better the performance of the subject in the proficient stage. Conclusion: C3 and C4 areas are specific brain regions of the stress response of anti-vertigo endurance training, and the absolute power of the α wave can be used as a parameter for identifying the degree of motion sickness (MS). The absolute power changes of α waves in the C3 and C4 areas are positively correlated with their anti-vertigo potential. Significance: Increasing the absolute power of α wave in the C3 and C4 is a manifestation of MS stress adaptability.
| S-EPMC8417248 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The aim of this pilot study was to document the effects of endurance training at different intensities on heart rate (HR), blood count, serum cortisol, and maximal temperatures of different body locations, namely eye, crown, pastern pasterns, gluteus and longissimus dorsi muscle (mm), measured by infrared thermography technique (IRT) in horses trained for endurance. Possible associations among the studied parameters were also investigated. Our hypothesis was that temperature, measured by IRT after endurance training of different intensities would vary depending on the intensity and would be positively correlated with HR and serum cortisol. Eight horses were tested before and after training of different intensities (low, moderate, and high). The results partially supported our hypothesis; all the studied parameters increased after training (p < 0.05), eye temperature (ET) correlated positively with HR (p < 0.01), and crown temperature (CT) correlated positively with cortisol (p < 0.01). However, only HR and white blood cells increased with the intensity of the exercise (p = 0.0016 and p = 0.0142, respectively). Our findings suggest the evaluation of ET and CT may become a useful non-invasive tool to detect physiological stress during training and to evaluate how the horses cope with the training. Infrared thermography technique may also become a useful tool for the early identification of horses that are not fit to compete or to continue the competition. However, further studies should be conducted on a larger number of horses and during competitions to ascertain our preliminary findings.
| S-EPMC6466296 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Mirror Self-Recognition (MSR) unveils complex cognitive, social and emotional skills and it has been found only in humans and few other species, such as great apes, dolphins, elephants and magpies. In this pilot study, we tested if horses show the capacity of MSR. Four subjects living socially under naturalistic conditions were selected for the experiment. We adopted the classical mark test, which consists in placing a coloured mark on an out-of-view body part, visible only through mirror inspection. If the animal considers the image as its own, it will use its reflection to detect the mark and will try to explore it. We enhanced the classical paradigm by introducing a double-check control. Only in the presence of the reflecting surface, animals performed tactile and olfactory exploration of the mirror and looked behind it. These behaviors suggest that subjects were trying to associate multiple sensory cues (visual, tactile and olfactory) to the image in the mirror. The lack of correspondence between the collected stimuli in front of the mirror and the response to the colored mark lead us to affirm that horses are able to perceive that the reflected image is incongruent when compared with the memorized information of a real horse. However, without replication of data, the self-directed behavior towards the colored marks showed by our horses cannot be sufficient per se to affirm that horses are capable of self-recognition.
| S-EPMC5433687 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Health monitoring during offshore saturation diving is complicated due to restricted access to the divers, the desire to keep invasive procedures to a minimum, and limited opportunity for laboratory work onboard dive support vessels (DSV). In this pilot study, we examined whether measuring salivary biomarkrers in samples collected by the divers themselves might be a feasible approach to environmental stress assessment. Nine saturation divers were trained in the passive drool method for saliva collection and proceeded to collect samples at nine time points before, during, and after an offshore commercial saturation diving campaign. Samples collected within the hyperbaric living chambers were decompressed and stored frozen at -20°C onboard the DSV until they were shipped to land for analysis. Passive drool samples were collected without loss and assayed for a selection of salivary biomarkers: secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA), C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukins IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β, as well as cortisol and alpha-amylase. During the bottom phase of the hyperbaric saturation, SIgA, CRP, TNF-α, IL-8 and IL-1β increased significantly, whereas IL-6, cortisol and alpha-amylase were unchanged. All markers returned to pre-dive levels after the divers were decompressed back to surface pressure. We conclude that salivary biomarker analysis may be a feasible approach to stress assessment in offshore saturation diving. The results of our pilot test are consonant with an activation of the sympathetic nervous system related to systemic inflammation during hyperbaric and hyperoxic saturation.
| S-EPMC8669759 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveRepetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is a novel therapeutic tool to induce a suppression of tinnitus. However, the optimal target sites are unknown. We aimed to determine whether low-frequency rTMS induced lasting suppression of tinnitus by decreasing neural activity in the cortex, navigated by high-density electroencephalogram (EEG) source analysis, and the utility of EEG for targeting treatment.MethodsIn this controlled three-armed trial, seven normal hearing patients with tonal tinnitus received a 10-day course of 1-Hz rTMS to the cortex, navigated by high-density EEG source analysis, to the left temporoparietal cortex region, and to the left temporoparietal with sham stimulation. The Tinnitus handicap inventory (THI) and a visual analog scale (VAS) were used to assess tinnitus severity and loudness. Measurements were taken before, and immediately, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks after the end of the interventions.ResultsLow-frequency rTMS decreased tinnitus significantly after active, but not sham, treatment. Responders in the EEG source analysis-based rTMS group, 71.4% (5/7) patients, experienced a significant reduction in tinnitus loudness, as evidenced by VAS scores. The target site of neuronal generators most consistently associated with a positive response was the frontal lobe in the right hemisphere, sourced using high-density EEG equipment, in the tinnitus patients. After left temporoparietal rTMS stimulation, 42.8% (3/7) patients experienced a decrease in tinnitus loudness.ConclusionsActive EEG source analysis based rTMS resulted in significant suppression in tinnitus loudness, showing the superiority of neuronavigation-guided coil positioning in dealing with tinnitus. Non-auditory areas should be considered in the pathophysiology of tinnitus. This knowledge in turn can contribute to investigate the pathophysiology of tinnitus.
| S-EPMC4592205 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background:Although cognition is a core symptom of schizophrenia and associated with functional impairment, the degree of training for and time associated with its assessment makes it difficult to routinely monitor in clinic care.Smartphone based cognitive assessments could serve as a tool to measure cognition in real time as well as being easily scalable for broad use.Combined with other data gathered from smartphone sensors such as steps, sleep, and self-reported symptoms - capturing 'cognition in context' could provide a powerful new tool for assessing the functional burden of disease in schizophrenia. Methods:18 participants with schizophrenia and 17 healthy controls completed novel cognitive assessments on their personal smartphones over the course of 12 weeks while also capturing self-reported surveys and step count. No payment or incentives were offered for engaging with the smartphone app. Differing levels of difficulty in cognitive tasks were tested and the results were modeled using a modified Cox proportional hazard model. Results:On the smartphone cognitive assessments that involved on simple patterns, both controls and those with schizophrenia achieved similar scores. On the more complex assessment that added task switching in addition to pattern recognition, those with schizophrenia achieved scores lower than controls. Collecting other forms of data such as surveys and steps was also feasible using the same smartphone platform. Discussion:It is feasible for those with schizophrenia to use their own smartphones to complete cognitive assessments and other measures related to their mental health. While we did not investigate the correlations between these cognitive assessments and other smartphone captured metrics like step count or self-reported symptoms, the potential to longitudinally assess cognition in the context of patients' environments outside of the clinic presents unique opportunities for characterizing cognitive burden in schizophrenia.
| S-EPMC6476810 | biostudies-other
Project description:BackgroundOrthopaedic injury is the most common reason for lameness and wastage in sport and leisure horses. Studies on racehorses have shown differences in injury risk between trainers and training strategies. The aim was to study between riding school variation in orthopaedic health status by clinical examination and horses age, and control for change of examiner, in schools with previous high (n = 4) and low (n = 4) insurance utilisation.MethodsHorses (n = 99) at 8 riding schools were examined for conformation, movement in all gaits, standing flexion tests and palpation by two veterinary surgeons (in some schools only one). Indexes of findings were created for total health, movements, limbs, conformation and back palpation.ResultsLogistic regression analyses showed that findings increased with age (walk, trot, canter, conformation left hind limb, palpation fore limbs, hooves and flexion tests) or decreased with age (conformation right fore limb). Significant differences in findings were found between riding schools and examiner for seven and eight criteria each (partly overlapping). Increasing indexes were significantly associated with one examiner (total health, movements, back palpation), increasing age (total health, movements) or more time at the school (limbs). The back palpation index was highest at 5 < 8 years since acquisition.ConclusionThe age distribution differed markedly between riding schools and age affected several types of findings. This, combined with the two opposite groups of insurance use, shows that schools with low insurance utilisation had previously been able to "avoid" using the insurance, maybe even on similar types of cases if these were more promptly/differently handled indicating differential coverage of disease data in the insurance database. The examiner effect was clearly demonstrated. For some findings, the amount of clinical observations differed by school, even when examiner and age was adjusted for. Most findings were of minor importance, including slight movement irregularities. Orthopaedic status varies between riding schools. We hypothesize that this is associated with management factors that warrant further study.
| S-EPMC2939618 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Horses and donkeys belong to the genus Equus, but important differences exist between the species, many of which affect their management and welfare. This study compared skull morphology between horses and donkeys. Horse (n = 14) and donkey (n = 16) heads were obtained post-mortem, sectioned sagittally close to the midline, and photographed for subsequent measurement of various skull structures. Skull, cranial, nasal, and profile indices were calculated for topographical comparisons between the species. The olfactory bulb area (OBA), OB pitch (the angle between the hard palate and the OB axis), and whorl location (WL) were also measured. A General Linear Model determined the main effect of species with Sidak's multiple comparisons of species' differences among the various measurements. There was no species difference in cranial or nasal indices (p > 0.13), but donkeys had a larger cranial profile than horses (p < 0.04). Donkeys had a smaller OBA (p < 0.05) and a steeper OB pitch (p < 0.02) than horses. The WL corresponded to the level of the OB in horses but was extremely rostral in donkeys (p < 0.0001). These results show clear differentiation in skull morphology between horses and donkeys. This may be useful in validating other physiological and behavioural differences between horses and donkeys.
| S-EPMC7341236 | biostudies-literature
Project description:OBJECTIVE:The purpose of this study was to evaluate and validate an offline, automated scalp EEG-based seizure detection system and to compare its performance to commercially available seizure detection software. METHODS:The test seizure detection system, IdentEvent™, was developed to enhance the efficiency of post-hoc long-term EEG review in epilepsy monitoring units. It translates multi-channel scalp EEG signals into multiple EEG descriptors and recognizes ictal EEG patterns. Detection criteria and thresholds were optimized in 47 long-term scalp EEG recordings selected for training (47 subjects, ?3653h with 141 seizures). The detection performance of IdentEvent was evaluated using a separate test dataset consisting of 436 EEG segments obtained from 55 subjects (?1200h with 146 seizures). Each of the test EEG segments was reviewed by three independent epileptologists and the presence or absence of seizures in each epoch was determined by majority rule. Seizure detection sensitivity and false detection rate were calculated for IdentEvent as well as for the comparable detection software (Persyst's Reveal®, version 2008.03.13, with three parameter settings). Bootstrap re-sampling was applied to establish the 95% confidence intervals of the estimates and for the performance comparison between two detection algorithms. RESULTS:The overall detection sensitivity of IdentEvent was 79.5% with a false detection rate (FDR) of 2 per 24h, whereas the comparison system had 80.8%, 76%, and 74% sensitivity using its three detection thresholds (perception score) with FDRs of 13, 8, and 6 per 24h, respectively. Bootstrap 95% confidence intervals of the performance difference revealed that the two detection systems had comparable detection sensitivity, but IdentEvent generated a significantly (p<0.05) smaller FDR. CONCLUSIONS:The study validates the performance of the IdentEvent™ seizure detection system. SIGNIFICANCE:With comparable detection sensitivity, an improved false detection rate makes the automated seizure detection software more useful in clinical practice.
| S-EPMC2934863 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Removal of Adult Cyathostomins alters Faecal Microbiota and Promotes inflamatory Phenotype in Horses
| PRJEB31219 | ENA