Effects of Interstitial Cystitis on the Acoustic Startle Reflex in Cats

Overview

Journal Am J Vet Res

Specialty Veterinary Medicine

Date 2012 Dec 29

PMID 23270359

Citations 5

Authors

Devon W Hague

Judi L Stella

C A Tony Buffington

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: To compare acoustic startle reflexes (ASRs) of healthy cats and cats with interstitial cystitis (IC).

Animals: 28 healthy cats (11 males and 17 females) and 20 cats with IC (13 males and 7 females).

Procedures: To evaluate the effect of neutering on ASRs, ASRs in neutered and unneutered healthy cats were measured. To evaluate the effect of housing facility acclimation on ASRs in cats with IC, ASRs were measured in cats with IC within 1 month after arrival at the housing facility and again 2 to 3 months after arrival. To evaluate the effect of the environment on ASRs, ASRs were evaluated in all cats with and without IC after acclimation but before and then after environmental enrichment.

Results: Neutering led to a significant decrease in overall ASR in the healthy cats. Habituation to the housing facility resulted in a significant decrease in overall ASR of female but not male cats with IC. Environmental enrichment led to a significant decrease in ASR in cats with IC but not in healthy cats.

Conclusions And Clinical Relevance: The magnitude of the ASR appeared to be sensitive to environmental conditions and affected by sex, both in healthy cats and cats with IC. It was also higher in cats with IC versus healthy cats, except when cats were housed in a highly enriched environment.

Impact For Human Medicine: Treatment approaches that include reduction of a patient's perception of environmental unpredictability may benefit humans with IC.

Citing Articles

Interstitial cystitis-an imbalance of risk and protective factors?.

Westropp J, Stella J, Buffington C Front Pain Res (Lausanne). 2024; 5:1405488.

PMID: 38784787 PMC: 11112028. DOI: 10.3389/fpain.2024.1405488.

Prevalence, Risk Factors, Pathophysiology, Potential Biomarkers and Management of Feline Idiopathic Cystitis: An Update Review.

He C, Fan K, Hao Z, Tang N, Li G, Wang S Front Vet Sci. 2022; 9:900847.

PMID: 35812890 PMC: 9257190. DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.900847.

Behavioral awareness in the feline consultation: Understanding physical and emotional health.

Horwitz D, Rodan I J Feline Med Surg. 2018; 20(5):423-436.

PMID: 29706091 PMC: 11395291. DOI: 10.1177/1098612X18771204.

AAFP and ISFM Guidelines for diagnosing and solving house-soiling behavior in cats.

Carney H, Sadek T, Curtis T, Halls V, Heath S, Hutchison P J Feline Med Surg. 2014; 16(7):579-98.

PMID: 24966283 PMC: 11148882. DOI: 10.1177/1098612X14539092.

From FUS to Pandora syndrome: where are we, how did we get here, and where to now?.

Buffington C, Westropp J, Chew D J Feline Med Surg. 2014; 16(5):385-94.

PMID: 24794035 PMC: 11104043. DOI: 10.1177/1098612X14530212.

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