Electrical stimulation of lumbar spinal nerve roots in dogs

Electrodiagnostic testing in dogs with disorders of the spinal cord or cauda equina

Electrodiagnostic (EDX) testing is uncommonly utilized in dogs other than for investigation of disorders of the neuromuscular system. In dogs with diseases affecting the spinal cord or cauda equina, EDX testing can provide functional data complementary to imaging information that together can guide therapeutic and management approaches. Additionally, in some clinical scenarios, EDX testing prior to advanced imaging is integral to identifying if there is spinal cord or cauda equina involvement and can aid in determining the appropriate diagnostic path. This review will outline EDX testing methods that have been reported in dogs relating to the diagnosis, monitoring or prognosis of various conditions affecting the spinal cord and cauda equina. The various tests will be briefly outlined regarding how they are performed and what information is provided. The main focus will be on clinical applications including highlighting situations where EDX testing is useful for differentiating between neurologic and non-neurologic presentations. Additional ways these EDX techniques could be incorporated in the management of diseases of the spinal cord and cauda equina in dogs will be presented.

Evaluation of proximal and distal motor nerve conduction using the electrical root stimulation technique in the femoral and obturator nerves

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the adaptability of the electrical root stimulation technique by achieving normative data from the obturator and femoral nerves of healthy dogs.

Methods: For this purpose, two stimulations and recordings were performed on both the obturator and femoral nerves in 40 dogs (22 males and 18 females). Electrical root stimulation was applied via monopolar needle electrodes between the sixth to seventh and fifth to sixth lumbar inter arcuate spaces to the obturator and femoral nerves, respectively. Muscle waves were recorded from the gracilis and sartorius muscles of the left and right pelvic limb.

Results: The proximal motor nerve conduction velocity was 60.89 ± 3.93 m/s and 59.87 ± 4.83 m/s in the obturator and femoral nerves, respectively.

Clinical significance: Our results showed that electrical root stimulation could be a useful method to test the integrity of the roots of obturator and femoral nerves and their proximal parts.

Comparison of the Two Types of Stimulating Electrodes in the Study of Motor Nerve Conduction in Dogs

In this research two kinds of stimulation electrodes were compared in motor nerve conduction study: needle electrodes used in human medicine and electrodes made of injection needles connected to the stimulator via alligator-type electrodes. A study was conducted in 22 mixed-breed dogs. The resulting values of the potential amplitudes of the stimulus, the parameters of the complex muscle potentials, and the motor nerve conduction velocity were statistically compared. There was no statistical difference between the parameters obtained with the two types of stimulation electrodes. The results of our research constitute a basis for improving present-day procedures, improving aseptic procedures, reducing tissue trauma during research and lowering research costs due to the introduction of injection-needle electrodes and their benefits into the study of motor nerve conduction in animals.