|   | 
Details
   web
Records
Author (up) Bachmann, I.; Bernasconi, P.; Herrmann, R.; Weishaupt, M.A.; Stauffacher, M.
Title Behavioural and physiological responses to an acute stressor in crib-biting and control horses Type Journal Article
Year 2003 Publication Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.
Volume 82 Issue 4 Pages 297-311
Keywords Horse welfare; Stereotypies; Crib-biting; Pituitary-adrenocortical axis; Sympatho-adrenomedullar axis; Stress response; Stress sensibility
Abstract The responses of eleven pairs of crib-biting and non-crib-biting horses (controls) to an arousal-inducing stimulus were studied. Video-observation of the horses revealed that crib-biting horses spent between 10.4 and 64.7% of their stabling time performing the stereotypy. During the first 2 days of an experimental period, the horses were conditioned to receive food from a special bucket. On the third day the food bucket was presented, but the horses were not allowed to feed. Arousal behaviour and crib-biting intensity as well as plasma cortisol concentration, heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) were recorded at rest, and during and after presentation of the food stimulus. The stimulus induced a significant increase of HR and arousal behaviour in crib-biters and in controls, whereas the crib-biting frequency decreased. Power spectral analysis of the HRV revealed significant differences between crib-biters and controls at rest: crib-biters had a lower vagal tone (high frequency component, HF) and a higher sympathetic tone (low frequency component, LF) than controls. The lower basal parasympathetic activity might be an indication why crib-biting horses, in contrast to the controls, showed neither a significant decrease of the HF component during presentation of the food stimulus nor an increase of the HF component after presentation. Thus, there might be differences in the tuning of the autonomous nervous system and of the stress reactivity in crib-biting and in control horses. The results suggest that the crib-biting horses are more stress sensitive and physiologically and psychologically less flexible than the control horses.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 3614
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Rietmann, T.R.; Stauffacher, M.; Bernasconi, P.; Auer, J.A.; Weishaupt, M.A.
Title The association between heart rate, heart rate variability, endocrine and behavioural pain measures in horses suffering from laminitis Type Journal Article
Year 2004 Publication Journal of Veterinary Medicine. A, Physiology, Pathology, Clinical Medicine Abbreviated Journal J Vet Med A Physiol Pathol Clin Med
Volume 51 Issue 5 Pages 218-225
Keywords Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/administration & dosage; Autonomic Nervous System; Behavior, Animal; Electrophysiology/*methods; Endocrine System; Female; Heart Rate; Horse Diseases/blood/drug therapy/*physiopathology; Horses; Joint Diseases/physiopathology/*veterinary; Male; Pain/physiopathology/*veterinary; Pain Measurement/*veterinary; Predictive Value of Tests
Abstract The objective of this study was to compare the stress response of horses suffering from laminitis after short- and long-term treatment with the intent to evaluate power spectral analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) for pain monitoring. Data were collected from 19 horses with acute or chronic exacerbating laminitis without known primary disease before and after treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID). Recordings were carried out the day after admission to the equine hospital. Measurements were repeated on day 7 of the treatment. The recorded parameters included a clinical orthopaedic index (OLPI: Obel-grade plus hoof tester score), frequency of weight-shifting between contralateral limbs, mean beat-to-beat interval (R-R) duration, standard deviation of continuous R-R intervals, low- (LF) and high-frequency (HF) components of HRV, sympatho-vagal balance (LF/HF), and plasma concentration of cortisol, adrenalin and noradrenalin. The LF represents mainly sympathetic influences on the heart whereas HF is mediated by the parasympathetic tone. Weight-shifting and OLPI decreased significantly with treatment. The LF normalized units (n.u.) decreased after NSAID from 60.41 +/- 21.42 to 51.12 +/- 19.81 and was 49.33 +/- 22.64 on day 7, whereas HF n.u. increased from 35.07 +/- 20.02 to 43.14 +/- 18.30 and was 45.98 +/- 23.00 on day 7. Hormone levels showed no tendency to change with treatment. The OLPI was only correlated with LF/HF, LF and HF (R = 0.57, 0.55 and -0.54 respectively). Significant negative correlations existed between HFn.u. and weight-shifting frequency (R = -0.37), HFn.u. and adrenalin (R = -0.47), and HFn.u. and noradrenalin (R = 0.33). The LFn.u. only correlated positively with adrenalin. Cortisol levels were poorly associated with the other parameters. Determination of the sympatho-vagal influences on cardiac function may offer complementary information for reliable assessment of pain and may represent a valuable alternative method to catecholamine measurements.
Address Equine Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0931-184X ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes PMID:15315700 Approved no
Call Number Serial 1899
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Rietmann, T.R.; Stuart, A.E.A.; Bernasconi, P.; Stauffacher, M.; Auer, J.A.; Weishaupt, M.A.
Title Assessment of mental stress in warmblood horses: heart rate variability in comparison to heart rate and selected behavioural parameters Type Journal Article
Year 2004 Publication Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.
Volume 88 Issue 1-2 Pages 121-136
Keywords Horse; Hrv; Heart rate; Mental stress; Behaviour; Autonomic nervous system
Abstract The aim of the study was to investigate whether heart rate variability (HRV) could assess alterations of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) at different levels of excitement. The behavioural and physiological responses of 20 warmblood horses to a challenging ground exercise task were studied. Prior to the experiment, the horses were evaluated at rest and during forward walking (FW). The horses were then forced to move backwards continuously during 3 min according to a standardised protocol (BW1). Subsequently, the horses were exposed to two training sessions, after which the backward walking (BW2) was re-evaluated. Heart rate (HR) and HRV-parameters such as the standard deviation of the beat-to-beat intervals (SDRR), the low (LF; sympathetic tone) and high frequency (HF) component of HRV (HF; parasympathetic tone) and their ratio (LF/HF; index representing the sympatho-vagal balance) were sampled at rest, and during FW, BW1 and BW2. Stress-related behaviour during BW1 and BW2 was determined from video recordings. The results of the different evaluations were compared to each other. Compared to rest and FW, the first backward experiment induced a significant rise in HR, LF and LF/HF and a significant decrease of HF. SDRR decreased from both FW and rest with only the latter reaching significance. In BW2 after the training sessions, HR and the parameters of the sympathetic branch of the ANS (LF, LF/HF) were decreased and the vagal tone (HF) increased compared to BW1; all changes were significant. The duration of stress indicating behavioural patterns revealed also a significant decrease of excitement after the training, when backward walking did not differ from forward walking in any parameter. Correlations between HRV-parameters and stress indicating behaviour as well as HR were found. We conclude that the HRV-parameters LF and HF are valuable measures to quantify sympatho-vagal balance, which allows a more precise assessment of the responses of HR and SDRR to mental stress during low intensity exercise.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 314
Permanent link to this record