Somatosensory evoked potentials of the tibial nerve during the surgical decompression of thoracolumbar intervertebral disk herniation in dogs.

This study aimed to identify the impact on spinal cord integrity and determine the electrophysiological safety level during surgery for thoracolumbar intervertebral disk herniation in dogs. A total of 52 dogs diagnosed with thoracolumbar intervertebral disk herniation were enrolled. The tibial nerve somatosensory evoked potential elicited on the scalp by stimulation of the tibial nerve was recorded before and during hemilaminectomy.

F-wave parameters for the tibial nerve in Miniature Dachshunds with and without naturally acquired thoracolumbar intervertebral disk herniation.

Objective: To determine values of F-wave parameters for the tibial nerve in clinically normal Miniature Dachshunds and those with thoracolumbar intervertebral disk herniation (IVDH).

Animals: 53 Miniature Dachshunds (10 clinically normal and 43 with various clinical grades of thoracolumbar IVDH).

Procedures: F-waves were elicited in the interosseous muscles of 1 hind limb in each dog by stimulation of the tibial nerve.

Electroacupuncture improves neuronal function by stimulation of ascending peripheral nerve conduction in rats with spinal cord injury.

Objective: To establish a method of transient sciatic nerve blockade and to examine the involvement of the ascending peripheral nerve pathway in the therapeutic effect of electroacupuncture at Zusanli (ST 36) in rats with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Methods: We examined the transient effect of daily lidocaine administration into the posteromedial part of the greater trochanter on sciatic nerve function using electrophysiological examination and histopathology of the sciatic nerve. Rats were divided into three groups: an SCI group (SCI without treatment), an SCI with electroacupuncture treatment (SCI-EA) group, and an SCI with nerve block and electroacupuncture (SCI-NB-EA) group (nerve block was achieved by lidocaine administration to transiently block the ascending peripheral nerve pathway).

Electrophysiological and histopathological findings of muscular disease suspected as myotonic dystrophy in a Shiba dog.

An 8-year-old male Japanese Shiba exhibited muscle wasting and a stiff gait. A low-amplitude myotonic discharge was recorded by needle electromyography (EMG). A histopathological examination on a tru-cut biopsy sample from the muscle revealed myofiber size variations.

Establishment of a method to measure length of the ulnar nerve and standardize F-wave values in clinically normal beagles.

We designed a new method of measuring the length of the ulnar nerve and determining standard values for F-wave parameters of the ulnar nerve in clinically normal beagles. Nerve length must be precisely measured to determine F-wave latency and conduction velocity. The length of the forelimb has served as the length of the ulnar nerve for F-wave assessments, but report indicates that F-wave latency is proportional to the length of the pathway traveled by nerve impulses.

F-wave conduction velocity, persistence, and amplitude for the tibial nerve in clinically normal cats.

Objective: To establish a method of F-wave evaluation and to determine normative values of F-wave parameters, including F-wave conduction velocity, persistence, and amplitude for the tibial nerve in cats.

Animals: 30 clinically normal cats.

Procedures: F-waves elicited in the interosseous muscles by stimulation of the tibial nerve were recorded, and linear regression analyses of the shortest latency versus the length of the tibial nerve and the limb length were performed.

Clinicopathological features of canine neuroaxonal dystrophy and cerebellar cortical abiotrophy in Papillon and Papillon-related dogs.

Neuroaxonal dystrophy (NAD) was examined in two Papillon dogs and a mix breed dog between Papillon and Chihuahua. In addition, cerebellar cortical abiotrophy (CCA) in a Papillon dog, which had similar clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features to those of NAD, was also investigated. The common clinical symptoms of all dogs affected with NAD and CCA, were pelvic limb ataxia and cerebellar ataxia including intention tremor, head tremor, and hypermetria in the early onset.

Usefulness of combined electrophysiological examinations for detection of neural dysfunction in cats with lumbar hematomyelia.

We conducted combined electrophysiological examinations including F-wave, motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV), spinal cord-evoked potential (SCEP), and needle electromyography (EMG) in two cats involved in traffic accidents that consequently developed hind limb paralysis caused by lumbar hematomyelia. F-wave could no longer be elicited within 3 days after the accident, and the MNCV and compound muscle action potential (CMAP) amplitude decreased in a time-dependent manner, with CMAP no longer being evoked after 7 or 8 days. EMG showed abnormalities such as fibrillation and positive sharp waves after 6 to 8 days.

Effectiveness of intraoperative somatosensory evoked potential monitoring during cervical spinal operations on animals with spinal cord dysfunction.

We conducted somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) monitoring on 3 dogs with cervical spinal cord dysfunction caused by various diseases throughout operative procedures to examine whether the intraoperative SEP monitoring was effective for prediction of spinal cord conductive function. The SEP was recorded on the scalp via stimulation of the ulnar nerve. Stable SEP was recorded in all animals examined.

F-wave latency and F-wave conduction velocity for the tibial nerve in clinically normal dogs.

Objective: To establish a method of F-wave examinations and to determine values of F-wave conduction velocity (FWCV) and F-wave latency for the tibial nerve of clinically normal dogs.

Animals: 21 clinically normal dogs.

Procedure: The F-waves were elicited from the interosseous muscles via stimulation of the tibial nerve.