Weber Polack E, King J M, Cummings J F, de Lahunta A, Divers T J, Mohammed H O
Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.
Equine Vet J. 1998 May;30(3):256-9. doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1998.tb04497.x.
The mean number of motor neurons was assessed in the C7 spinal cord segment of 5 EMND and 5 control horses. Mean number per section in EMND horses was reduced significantly (P<0.001). The mean neuronal loss was estimated at 31%. Each of the 5 affected horses had a mean neuronal count below the 95% confidence interval for control horses. The statistically significant difference between the 2 groups was consistent in the cranial, middle and caudal thirds of the C7 segment (P<0.001). The results of regression analysis indicated an association between neuronal reduction in EMND horses and the duration of the disease when adjusted for age (P<0.001). This is the first quantitation of the neurodegenerative loss in EMND and it provides a clearer explanation for residual deficits in horses that survive EMND.
