Publication details
Cardiac Response to Autonomic Tests with Cold Stimulus in Horses
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2009 |
| Type | Article in Proceedings |
| Conference | Trends in Biomedical Engineering |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Physiology |
| Keywords | cold face test cold pressor test equine cardovascular system cardiac autonomic test |
| Description | In humans, activation of the diving reflex by a cold stimulus to the face (Cold Face Test) results in bradycardia, peripheral vasoconstriction and an increase in blood pressure. The Cold Pressor Test is a similar test, which is typically performed by immersing a subjects hand into ice water for a short period of time, results in a strong sympathetic response in humans. Responses of horses to Cold Face Test or Cold Pressor Test have not yet been evaluated. We undertook this study to assess the effect of both tests on the cardiovascular system of horses. ECG responses of five horses were analyzed and evaluated during application of a cold stimulus (-18 to 4 deg C) at the forehead, between eyes, on the nose, around the neck, on the metacarpus and on the forelimb for 1 to 5 min. Horses demonstrate bradycardia as expected during Cold Face Test. However this response interfered with a stronger tachycardia respond to fear. The fear factor could be reduced when subjects were previously trained with the experimental conditions. Horses exhibit tachycardia during the Cold Pressor Test, but the increased heart rate was weaker than the one observed in humans. |