Evaluation of equine perineural anesthesia simulators with integrated success control for veterinary education.

The skills necessary to perform diagnostic perineural anesthesia in equids belongs to one of the Day One Competences of a veterinarian, so every veterinary graduate should be able to perform them correctly. For logistical, hygienic and ethical reasons, practical exercises on cadaver limbs are not accessible to all students. Two equine distal limb simulators were developed and evaluated as an additional instructional tool to train the required skills.

Cerebrospinal fluid-specific oligoclonal bands in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy.

Background: In dogs with idiopathic epilepsy (IE), 33% develop resistance to conventional anti-seizure medication (ASM) despite adequate treatment. In human medicine, an immune-mediated etiology is suspected in a subset of ASM-resistant patients with epilepsy and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG)-type oligoclonal bands (OCBs) have been detected. In dogs, cases of autoimmune encephalitis recently were reported.

Measures for Quality Assurance of Electronic Examinations in a Veterinary Medical Curriculum.

Since 2008, electronic examinations have been conducted at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Germany which are analyzed extensively in the current study. The aim is to assess the quality of examinations, the status quo of the electronic examination system and the implementation of recommendations regarding the conduct of exams at the TiHo. Based on the results suitable indicators for the evaluation of examinations and items as well as adequate quality assurance measures and item formats are to be identified.

Of potential new treatment targets and polythetic approach in meningoencephalitis of unknown origin: a review.

Meningoencephalitis of unknown origin (MUO) represents an umbrella term for inflammatory, non-infectious central nervous system (CNS) diseases in dogs. Current therapeutic approaches, involving long-term glucocorticosteroid use, often fail to provide adequate relief or cure, and the effectiveness of additional immunosuppressive medications remains uncertain. Future advancements in MUO treatment may benefit from patient-specific therapies, potentially enhancing treatment precision, efficacy, and minimizing side effects.

Canine idiopathic generalized tremor syndrome, immune-mediated?

Idiopathic generalized tremor syndrome is a disorder characterized by an acute onset of full-body tremors, sometimes accompanied by vestibulo-cerebellar signs, that is responsive to treatment with corticosteroids. Although considered to have an overall good outcome, relapsing and persistent mild clinical signs have been described. So far, little is known about the etiopathology of this syndrome, but it is believed to have an immune-mediated origin.

Knowledge attainment, learning approaches, and self-perceived study burnout among European veterinary students.

Introduction: This study investigates the relationship between approaches to learning, self-perceived study burnout, and the level of knowledge among veterinary students. Veterinary educational programs are under regular development and would benefit greatly from detailed feedback on students' knowledge, proficiency, influencing factors, and coping mechanisms.

Methods: The VetRepos consortium developed and calibrated an item repository testing knowledge across the entire veterinary curriculum.

Veterinary teaching in COVID-19 times: perspectives of university teaching staff.

The digitalization of university teaching has been taking place for many years and, in addition to traditional teaching formats such as practicals and face-to-face lectures, more and more e-learning courses have been used in veterinary education for several years. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, universities across Germany had to switch to an , purely digital summer semester. This study evaluated the experiences and implementation of the digital summer semester 2020 at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover (TiHo) Foundation from the perspective of the teaching staff.

Identification of parameters for electronic distance examinations.

Introduction: This study investigates the log data and response behavior from invigilated in-person electronic timed exams at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Germany. The primary focus is on understanding how various factors influence the time needed per exam item, including item format, item difficulty, item discrimination and character count. The aim was to use these results to derive recommendations for designing timed online distance examinations, an examination format that has become increasingly important in recent years.

Sensory nerve conduction stimulus threshold measurements of the infraorbital nerve and its applicability as a diagnostic tool in horses with trigeminal-mediated headshaking.

Background: To determine whether sensory nerve conduction stimulus threshold measurements of the infraorbital nerve are able to differentiate horses with idiopathic trigeminal-mediated headshaking (i-TMHS) from healthy horses and from horses with secondary trigeminal-mediated headshaking (s-TMHS). In a prospective trial, headshaking horses were examined using a standardized diagnostic protocol, including advanced diagnostics such as computed tomography and 3-Tesla-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to differentiate s-TMHS from i-TMHS. Clinically healthy horses served as controls.

Evaluation of an Interprofessional Blended Learning Course Focusing on Communication within Veterinary Teams.

Based on the importance of communication and teamwork in veterinary practice, we explored the impact of a blended learning course designed to enhance interprofessional communication skills among veterinary students and apprentice assistants. The blended learning course design included online modules, synchronous (online) seminars, and simulation training sessions. The asynchronous online elements should complement the varied schedules of different professions and meet the individual needs of participants, especially considering the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

RESOLUTION OF CALVARIAL HYPEROSTOSIS IN AFRICAN LION CUBS () AFTER VITAMIN A SUPPLEMENTATION.

Two female (FL 1, FL 2) and one male (ML) 11-wk-old, intact, captive African lion cubs () were presented with a history of mild vestibular signs. Initial serum vitamin A concentrations were low (140 nmol/L) for ML. Calvarial hyperostosis was confirmed using computed tomography (CT) of the head and cervical vertebrae in each cub.

Measuring Veterinarian Professions' Readiness for Interprofessional Learning in a Pre- and Post-Intervention Study.

The integration of interprofessional collaboration is becoming increasingly crucial in veterinary care settings, emphasising the need for interprofessional education (IPE) in veterinary programmes. This study explores the readiness for interprofessional learning among German veterinary students, apprentices and related occupations before and after an interprofessional communication course. It assesses the impact of this course on the participants' attitudes using the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS).

Simulator-Assisted Training of Abomasal Surgery-A Pilot Study Using Blended Learning and Face-to-Face Teaching.

Two stimulators were developed, one simplified and one realistic, in the present study for learning abomasal surgery for veterinary students. The simulators were tested in a pilot study: The upcoming blended learning format was compared with traditional face-to-face teaching. A total of 21 5th-year students participated in the study.

Interleukin-31 in serum and cerebrospinal fluid of dogs with syringomyelia.

Background: Syringomyelia is a spinal cord cavity containing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-like fluid. If syringomyelia asymmetrically involves the dorsal horn grey matter of the spinal cord, affected dogs show increased signs of dysesthesia and neuropathic pain, like increased itching behaviour. In the dorsal horn, amongst others, receptors for Interleukin-31 (IL-31) can be found.

Steroid-responsive meningitis-arteritis: What have we learned since 2010? A narrative review.

Steroid-responsive meningitis-arteritis (SRMA) occurs as an immune-mediated, inflammatory, and non-infectious disorder of juvenile and young-adult dogs. In principle, SRMA is divided into two clinical courses: during the typical acute form, dogs are presented with fever, cervical hyperaesthesia, and reluctance to move. The more protracted form most probably emerges after insufficient immunosuppressive treatment or relapses, with additional neurologic deficits localized in the cervical and thoracolumbar spinal cord or multifocally.

Elevated Interleukin-31 Levels in Serum, but Not CSF of Dogs with Steroid-Responsive Meningitis-Arteritis Suggest an Involvement in Its Pathogenesis.

Steroid-responsive meningitis-arteritis (SRMA) is a predominantly Th-2 immune-mediated disease, but the exact pathomechanism remains unclear. Interleukin-31 (IL-31) is predominantly produced by T cells with a Th-2 phenotype during proinflammatory conditions. We hypothesize that IL-31 might be involved in the pathogenesis of SRMA.

Long-term changes of Th17 and regulatory T cells in peripheral blood of dogs with spinal cord injury after intervertebral disc herniation.

Background: Intervertebral disc herniation (IVDH) is one of the most common causes of spinal cord injury (SCI) in dogs. As a result of acute SCI, a complex inflammatory response occurs in the spinal cord. Th17 cells (Th17) produce pro-inflammatory cytokines, while regulatory T cells (Treg) have opposite effects producing anti-inflammatory cytokines.

The role of neuroinflammation in canine epilepsy.

The lack of therapeutics that prevent the development of epilepsy, improve disease prognosis or overcome drug resistance represents an unmet clinical need in veterinary as well as in human medicine. Over the past decade, experimental studies and studies in human epilepsy patients have demonstrated that neuroinflammatory processes are involved in epilepsy development and play a key role in neuronal hyperexcitability that underlies seizure generation. Targeting neuroinflammatory signaling pathways may provide a basis for clinically relevant disease-modification strategies in general, and moreover, could open up new therapeutic avenues for human and veterinary patients with drug-resistant epilepsy.

Investigation of the presence of specific neural antibodies in dogs with epilepsy or dyskinesia using murine and human assays.

Background: Autoimmune mechanisms represent a novel category for causes of seizures and epilepsies in humans, and LGI1-antibody associated limbic encephalitis occurs in cats.

Hypothesis/objectives: To investigate the presence of neural antibodies in dogs with epilepsy or dyskinesia of unknown cause using human and murine assays modified for use in dogs.

Animals: Fifty-eight dogs with epilepsy of unknown cause or suspected dyskinesia and 57 control dogs.