The veterinary journal
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The veterinary journal · Aug 2013
Randomized Controlled TrialComparing lidocaine, bupivacaine and a lidocaine-bupivacaine mixture as a metacarpal block in sheep.
Mechanical sensory blocking effects in the metacarpi of rams were compared following perineural injection of saline, 2% lidocaine (LIDO), 0.5% bupivacaine (BUPI), and a 1:1 (volume/volume) mixture of LIDO-BUPI. Saline was also administered in the contralateral metacarpi. Compared with the saline treatment and contralateral controls, the various treatments induced larger area under the curve (AUC) values 0-60 min post-treatment (AUC0-60). ⋯ Anaesthesia occurred within 5 min following the administration of all local anaesthetics and lasted longer in the case of BUPI (110.0 ± 47.3 min) than with LIDO (40.0 ± 13.2 min) (P<0.01). The duration of anaesthesia was 86.9 ± 66.0 min with the LIDO-BUPI combination. Thus this combination offered no apparent advantages over the use of BUPI alone.
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The veterinary journal · Aug 2013
ReviewMyokymia and neuromyotonia in veterinary medicine: a comparison with peripheral nerve hyperexcitability syndrome in humans.
Involuntary muscle hyperactivity can result from muscle or peripheral nerve hyperexcitability or central nervous system dysfunction. In humans, diseases causing hyperexcitability of peripheral nerves are grouped together under the term 'peripheral nerve hyperexcitability' (PNH). Hyperexcitability of the peripheral motor nerve can result into five different phenotypic main variants, i.e. fasciculations, myokymia, neuromyotonia, cramps and tetany, each with their own clinical and electromyographic characteristics. ⋯ A dysfunction of the potassium channel or its associated proteins has been found in many human syndromes characterized by PNH, in particular in generalized myokymia and neuromyotonia, and is suspected to occur in veterinary medicine. Potential pathomechanisms of potassium channel dysfunction leading to signs of PNH are broad and include genetic mutations, antibody-mediated attack or ion channel maldistribution due to axonal degeneration or demyelination. A more accurate classification of the different PNH syndromes will facilitate a more rapid diagnosis and guide further research into natural occurring PNH in animals.
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The veterinary journal · Aug 2013
Cerebrospinal fluid tau protein as a biomarker for severity of spinal cord injury in dogs with intervertebral disc herniation.
Intervertebral disc herniation (IVDH) is a common cause of spinal cord injury (SCI) in dogs. Microtubule-associated protein tau derives predominantly from neurons and axons, making it a potential marker of neuronal injury. A retrospective study, including 51 dogs with thoracolumbar or cervical IVDH and 12 clinically normal dogs, was designed to describe associations between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tau concentration, degree of neurological signs and motor functional recovery in dogs with IVDH. ⋯ Plegic dogs that improved by one neurological grade within 1 week had significantly lower tau protein levels compared to plegic dogs that needed more time for recovery or did not show an improvement (P=0.008). A CSF tau concentration >41.3 pg/mL had a sensitivity of 86% and specificity of 83% to predict an unsuccessful outcome in plegic dogs based on ROC analysis (area under the curve, 0.887; P=0.007, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.717-1.057). CSF protein tau levels are positively associated with the severity of spinal cord damage and may serve as a prognostic indicator in dogs with IVDH.
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The veterinary journal · Aug 2013
The use of an electronic von Frey device for evaluation of sensory threshold in neurologically normal dogs and those with acute spinal cord injury.
The utility and inter-session repeatability of sensory threshold measurements using an electronic von Frey anesthesiometer (VFA) were assessed in a group of six neurologically normal dogs. Sensory threshold values obtained in neurologically normal dogs were compared to those of dogs with acute spinal cord injury (SCI) caused by intervertebral disc extrusion (n=6) and to a group of neurologically normal dogs with cranial cruciate ligament rupture (CCLR; n=6). Sensory threshold values in neurologically normal dogs were 155.8 ± 37.7 g and 154.7 ± 67.2 g for the left and right pelvic limbs, respectively. ⋯ Mean sensory threshold values for the group with SCI were significantly higher than those for neurologically normal dogs at 351.1 ± 116.5 g and 420.3 ± 157.7 g for the left and right pelvic limbs, respectively (P=0.01). A comparison of sensory threshold values for the group with CCLR and neurologically normal dogs was not statistically significant (P>0.05). The modified dorsal technique for VFA described here represents a reliable method to assess sensory threshold in neurologically normal dogs and in those with SCI.