Work

Quantitative sensory testing and trigeminocervical reflex thresholds in a Warmblood gelding affected by trigeminal‐mediated headshaking

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Summary Diagnosing trigeminal‐mediated headshaking (TMHS) in horses primarily depends on identifying characteristic clinical signs such as headshaking and nasal irritation, along with excluding non‐trigeminal causes through additional diagnostic techniques, primarily imaging. Aside from somatosensory evoked potentials, which require anaesthesia and are technically challenging, no tools currently assess trigeminal dysfunction, the hallmark of TMHS. We describe for the first time the application of quantitative sensory (QST) and trigeminocervical reflex (TCR) threshold testing for the evaluation of trigeminal sensory function in a 6‐year‐old Holstein gelding with TMHS. Both methods are simple to apply and feasible in an awake, unsedated state. While quantitative sensory testing indicated rather normal behavioural responses to tactile, mechanical, and thermal stimulations, the TCR thresholds, determined through electromyographic recordings from the splenius muscle following electrical stimulation of the infraorbital nerve, were considerably lower than those previously reported. If these observations are confirmed on a larger scale, TCR testing could become a promising non‐invasive, easy‐to‐apply diagnostic tool for the quantitative assessment of peripheral neural sensitisation in horses affected by TMHS, potentially useful to evaluate severity, monitor progression over time and response to treatment.

Source: Equine Veterinary Education

DOI: 10.1111/eve.14166

Authors: M. J. Käfer‐Karrer, M. Wyler, C. Spadavecchia, L. Unger

Institutions: University of Bern, Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine

Language: English

Topic: Veterinary Equine Medical Research

Subfield: Equine

Field: Veterinary

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,760