Penetrating captive bolt (PCB) is widely used for stunning and on-farm dispatch of livestock, yet its efficacy can vary, with the potential for animal welfare compromise. This study investigated the pathophysiology of PCB-induced trauma in horned and polled sheep (), focusing on factors contributing to incomplete concussion. Thirty-seven ( = 18 horned Scottish blackface and = 19 polled North Country mule) mature ewes (aged 4-10 years) were shot with PCB with varying cartridge power and PCB modifications, followed by clinical assessment and post-mortem analysis using magnetic resonance imagining (MRI) and gross pathology. The results indicated that damage to the reticular activating system, bolt velocity and penetration depth are crucial for inducing irreversible unconsciousness, with depths less than 37 mm often resulting in incomplete concussion. MRI provided detailed insights into brain injuries, aligning well with gross pathological findings. This study highlights the importance of precise bolt placement and appropriate PCB configurations in ensuring humane outcomes, with MRI proving to be a valuable tool for assessing brain trauma in stunned animals. These findings enhance the understanding of effective stunning techniques and support improved welfare practices in livestock management.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/vetsci12010053 | DOI Listing |
Vet Sci
January 2025
Independent Researchers, UK.
Penetrating captive bolt (PCB) is widely used for stunning and on-farm dispatch of livestock, yet its efficacy can vary, with the potential for animal welfare compromise. This study investigated the pathophysiology of PCB-induced trauma in horned and polled sheep (), focusing on factors contributing to incomplete concussion. Thirty-seven ( = 18 horned Scottish blackface and = 19 polled North Country mule) mature ewes (aged 4-10 years) were shot with PCB with varying cartridge power and PCB modifications, followed by clinical assessment and post-mortem analysis using magnetic resonance imagining (MRI) and gross pathology.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon, United States of America.
Sleep-wake disturbances frequently present in Veterans with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). These TBI-related sleep impairments confer significant burden and commonly exacerbate other functional impairments. Therapies to improve sleep following mTBI are limited and studies in Veterans are even more scarce.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEClinicalMedicine
September 2024
Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Background: Even patients with normal computed tomography (CT) head imaging may experience persistent symptoms for months to years after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). There is currently no good way to predict recovery and triage patients who may benefit from early follow-up and targeted intervention. We aimed to assess if existing prognostic models can be improved by serum biomarkers or diffusion tensor imaging metrics (DTI) from MRI, and if serum biomarkers can identify patients for DTI.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeurology
January 2025
From the Perioperative, Acute, Critical Care and Emergency Medicine (PACE) (D.P.W., D.M., V.F.J.N.), Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital; Division of Psychology (L.W.), University of Stirling, United Kingdom; Department of Neurosurgery (E.C.), Medical School, and Neurotrauma Research Group (E.C.), Szentagothai Research Centre, University of Pecs, Hungary; Department of Neurosurgery (A.B.), Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Sweden; Department of Neurobiology (K.K.W.W.), Center for Neurotrauma, Multiomics & Biomarkers (CNMB) Neuroscience Institute, Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM), Atlanta, GA; Program for Neurotrauma, Neuroproteomics and Biomarker Research (K.K.W.W.), Departments of Emergency Medicine, Psychiatry and Neuroscience, University of Florida, McKnight Brain Institute, Gainesville; Institute of Psychology (N.v.S., M.Z.), University of Innsbruck; Faculty of Psychotherapy Science (M.Z.), Sigmund Freud University, Vienna, Austria; Department of Biomedical Data Sciences (E.S.), Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands; Department of Neurosurgery (A.I.R.M.), Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem; and Department of Translational Neuroscience (A.I.R.M.), Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, University of Antwerp, Belgium.
Background And Objectives: There is seemingly contradictory evidence concerning relationships between day-of-injury biomarkers and outcomes after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). To address this issue, we examined the association between a panel of biomarkers and multidimensional TBI outcomes.
Methods: Participants with mTBI (Glasgow coma scores [GCSs] 13-15) were selected from Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research in Traumatic Brain Injury, a European observational study recruiting patients with TBI with indication for brain CT and presentation within 24 hours.
Occup Environ Med
October 2024
The Football Players Health Study at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Objectives: Career duration is often used as a metric of neurotrauma exposure in studies of elite athletes. However, as a proxy metric, career length may not accurately represent causal factors, and associations with health outcomes may be susceptible to selection effects. To date, relationships between professional American-style football (ASF) career length and postcareer health remain incompletely characterised.
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