Monitoring Blinks And Eyelid Twitches In Horses To Assess Stress During The Samples Collection Process

Lelláková, M.; Pavľak, Alexander; Lešková, L.; Florián, Martin; Skurková, Lenka; Mesarčová, Lýdia; Kottferová, Lucia; Takáčová, D.; Kottferová, J.

doi:10.1080/10888705.2021.2008249

Cited by 3 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…Previous research has shown that in stressful situations, horses show a decrease in spontaneous blink rates and a concomitant increase in eyelid twitches 11 . Saliva collection was not associated with any changes in blink rates in the present study compared with a control situation, in agreement with a previous report 10 . Although there were no increases in eyelid twitches recorded during venipuncture, the significant decrease in half‐blinks during sham and real venipuncture suggests that saliva collection may be a less stressful alternative to blood sampling with a lesser negative impact on welfare.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

“…11 Saliva collection was not associated with any changes in blink rates in the present study compared with a control situation, in agreement with a previous report. 10 Although there were no increases in eyelid twitches recorded during venipuncture, the significant decrease in half-blinks during sham and real venipuncture suggests that saliva collection may be a less stressful alternative to blood sampling with a lesser negative impact on welfare. In addition to heart rate as an indicator of stress, RR interval and RMSSD are two measures of heart rate variability that provide insight into sympathetic and vagal activity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…The primary aims of this study, therefore, were: (i) to determine whether equine salivary total adiponectin and insulin concentrations could be detected using automated assays currently available to measure these hormones in blood in the UK, and (ii) to compare indicators of stress during saliva collection and jugular venipuncture in ponies using non-invasive measures previously described for use in equids including spontaneous blink rate, 10,11 heart rate and heart rate variability. 12,13 Additionally, the correlation between serum and salivary insulin concentrations was investigated.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Insulin, but not adiponectin, is detectable in equine saliva using an automated, commercial assay

Barnabé,

Elliott,

Harris

et al. 2023

Equine Veterinary Journal

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BackgroundThe hormones insulin and adiponectin are commonly measured in equids because of their involvement in endocrinopathic laminitis. These are currently measured in serum/plasma, although jugular venipuncture can cause stress in some animals and may be impossible in needle‐shy individuals. However, both hormones can be measured in saliva in other species.ObjectivesTo determine whether [insulin] and [total adiponectin] are detectable in equine saliva using automated assays and whether saliva collection is associated with changes in stress indicators. Additionally, the correlation between serum and salivary [insulin] was investigated.Study designIn vivo experiment.MethodsPaired blood and saliva samples were collected from eight adult ponies at multiple time‐points (n = 45 paired samples). [Insulin] and [total adiponectin] were measured using automated assays validated for equine serum/plasma. Blink rates and heart rates were determined, using video recordings and a wearable heart rate monitor respectively, to assess the effects of sample collection on stress indicators compared with a control situation without a stressful stimulus.Results[Total adiponectin] was undetectable in saliva. However, salivary [insulin] was measurable with acceptable inter‐assay (1.3 ± 0.9%) and intra‐assay (1.1 ± 0.6%) variability. Blink and heart rates during saliva collection did not differ significantly from those in the control setting. Serum and salivary [insulin] were not significantly correlated.Main limitationsSmall sample size comprising native UK ponies; potential sampling bias as animals were recruited to the study partly based on their behaviour during blood sampling; saliva collected from unfasted animals.ConclusionsInsulin is measurable in equine saliva using an automated assay currently available in the UK, but further validation and the determination of specific diagnostic thresholds are required. Saliva collection was not associated with changes in stress indicators. Further research is therefore needed to determine the potential of equine saliva as a non‐invasive alternative to blood for insulin determination.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Insulin, but not adiponectin, is detectable in equine saliva using an automated, commercial assay

Barnabé,

Elliott,

Harris

et al. 2023

Equine Veterinary Journal

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“…While no ethogram has been designed for load-pulling horses, mules, and donkeys, other measures that are easy to assess in the field are becoming available. Recently it has been reported that eye blink rate is a cheap, simple, and immediate indicator of acute equine stress (87)(88)(89). As it has been seen that in the presence of a stressor (presentation of the clipper), blink rate first decreases (7 blinks/min) and then go higher (13 blinks/ min) than the resting blink rate (10 blinks per min) in stable horses (87).…”

Section: Behavioral Measures and Indicators Of Stressmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the impact of draught load pulling on welfare in equids

Bukhari,

Parkes

2023

Front. Vet. Sci.

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About 112 million working equids are the source of income for 600 million people globally. Many equids are used for pulling loads (up to 15,000 kg per day) to transport goods. Most of them are associated with brick kilns, mining, and agriculture industries in developing countries. They may suffer from welfare issues such as overloading, being beaten, and being forced to work for long periods. These issues may occur due to a poor understanding of load-pulling equids. Understanding their capabilities and the elements that influence them is critical for efficient performance and welfare. The measurement of stride characteristics and gait kinematics can reveal loading adaptations and help identify loading limitations. It is known that both loading and fatigue change the locomotor patterns of load-pulling horses. Heart rate is a stress quantifying metric and an important representative of the speed of work and draught force. Heart rate variability is a regularly used statistic to quantify a physiological response to stresses, but it has never been used for load-pulling equids. Changes in blood lactate, nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide contents are reliable biochemical indicators of the effects of load pulling. Changes in plasma cortisol levels reflect the intensity of exercise and stress levels in horses while pulling a load. However, eye blink rate is a cheap, simple, and immediate indicator of acute equine stress, and we suggest it may be used to aid in load-pulling equine welfare assessment. However, further research is needed for a standardized and evidence-based draught load pulling capacity of working horses, mules, and donkeys.

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“…Though those measurements can be applied, it is still crucial to consider the limitations and potential confounding factors of each method when applying to the awake animals, particularly for awake fMRI protocols. As a results, many labs are exploring alternative approaches, such as pupillometry and eyelid dynamics, which are non-invasive and effective methods for stress level monitoring [3, 10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The eyelid and pupil dynamics underlying stress levels in awake mice

Zeng

2023

Preprint

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Stress is a natural response of the body to perceived threats, and it can have both positive and negative effects on brain hemodynamics. Stress-induced changes in pupil and eyelid size/shape have been used as a biomarker in several fMRI studies. However, there were limited knowledges regarding changes in behavior of pupil and eyelid dynamics, particularly on animal models. In the present study, the pupil and eyelid dynamics were carefully investigated and characterized in a newly developed awake rodent fMRI protocol. Leveraging deep learning techniques, the mouse pupil and eyelid diameters were extracted and analyzed during different training and imaging phases in the present project. Our findings demonstrate a consistent downwards trend in pupil and eyelid dynamics under a meticulously designed training protocol, suggesting that the behaviors of the pupil and eyelid can be served as reliable indicators of stress levels and motion artifacts in awake fMRI studies. The current recording platform not only enables the facilitation of awake animal MRI studies but also highlights its potential applications to numerous other research areas, owing to the non-invasive nature and straightforward implementation.

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Monitoring Blinks And Eyelid Twitches In Horses To Assess Stress During The Samples Collection Process

Cited by 3 publications

References 50 publications

Insulin, but not adiponectin, is detectable in equine saliva using an automated, commercial assay

Insulin, but not adiponectin, is detectable in equine saliva using an automated, commercial assay

Assessing the impact of draught load pulling on welfare in equids

The eyelid and pupil dynamics underlying stress levels in awake mice

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