Electrodiagnostics for Horses with Gait Abnormalities

Presentation Description / Summary: Advancement in the field of equine neurology, sports medicine, and diagnostic imaging has shown that compressive lesions of the distal cervical spinal cord and distal cervical spinal nerve roots can be a cause of significant pain and thoracic limb dysfunction. Thoracic limb dysfunction is often only intermittent and is often difficult to diagnose and subsequently determine the etiology of. Furthermore, besides compressive lesions, other disorders can affect the nervous system in those regions as well and lead to similar clinical signs. If thoracic limb dysfunction occurs it can be severe such that it leads to falls with subsequent injuries to horse and rider, sometimes catastrophic. This session will describe the common electrodiagnostic tests we have available to us in equine medicine including EMG, EEG, BAER, NCVS, TES/TMS, and demonstrate how their use can be of value and ultimately benefit the diagnostic evaluation of horses with gait deficits and other signs of neuromuscular dysfunction. While some electrodiagnostic tests provide functional information on multiple anatomic components, such as seen with EMG assessment of a motor unit, other tests target specific nerves, for example using nerve conduction velocity testing where speed of conduction through either the sensory or motor axons is assessed. This session is aimed at choosing the appropriate test and describing what information can be derived.

Learner Outcomes: 1.Review of neuromuscular physiology 2.Familiarize with the Indications for use of EMG, EEG, BAER, NCVS, TES/TMS 3. Understand the diagnostic use and limitations for electrodiagnostic testing