Premium
Quantitative assessment of motor neuron loss in equine motor neuron disease (EMND)
Author(s) -
POLACK EVELYNE WEBER,
KING J. M.,
CUMMINGS J. F.,
LAHUNTA A.,
DIVERS T. J.,
MOHAMMED H. O.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
equine veterinary journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.82
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 2042-3306
pISSN - 0425-1644
DOI - 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1998.tb04497.x
Subject(s) - motor neuron , horse , medicine , confidence interval , spinal cord , biology , disease , psychiatry , paleontology
Summary The mean number of motor neurons was assessed in the C 7 spinal cord segment of 5 EMND and 5 control horses. Mean number per section in EMND horses was reduced significantly (P<0.001). The mean neuronal loss was estimated at 31%. Each of the 5 affected horses had a mean neuronal count below the 95% confidence interval for control horses. The statistically significant difference between the 2 groups was consistent in the cranial, middle and caudal thirds of the C 7 segment (P<0.001). The results of regression analysis indicated an association between neuronal reduction in EMND horses and the duration of the disease when adjusted for age (P<0.001). This is the first quantitation of the neurodegenerative loss in EMND and it provides a clearer explanation for residual deficits in horses that survive EMND.