Pre-test habituation improves the reliability of a handheld test of mechanical nociceptive threshold in dairy cows

TY - JOUR

T1 - Pre-test habituation improves the reliability of a handheld test of mechanical nociceptive threshold in dairy cows

AU - Raundal, P. M.

AU - Andersen, P. H.

AU - Toft, N.

AU - Herskin, M. S.

AU - Forkman, Björn

AU - Munksgaard, L.

AU - de Passillé, A. M.

AU - Rushen, J.

PY - 2015/10/1

Y1 - 2015/10/1

N2 - Mechanical nociceptive threshold (MNT) testing has been used to investigate aspects of painful states in bovine claws. We investigated a handheld tool, where the applied stimulation force was monitored continuously relative to a pre-encoded based target force. The effect on MNT of two pre-testing habituation procedures was performed in two different experiments comprising a total of 88 sound Holsteins dairy cows kept either inside or outside their home environment. MNT testing was performed using five consecutive mechanical nociceptive stimulations per cow per test at a fixed pre-encoded target rate of 2.1. N/s. The habituation procedure performed in dairy cows kept in their home environment led to lowered intra-individual coefficient of variation of MNT (P<. 0.001), increased MNT (P<. 0.001) and decreased the discrepancy between applied and target force during stimulations (P<. 0.001). Pre-test habituation improved the reliability of the handheld tool when used in dairy cows kept in their home environment.

AB - Mechanical nociceptive threshold (MNT) testing has been used to investigate aspects of painful states in bovine claws. We investigated a handheld tool, where the applied stimulation force was monitored continuously relative to a pre-encoded based target force. The effect on MNT of two pre-testing habituation procedures was performed in two different experiments comprising a total of 88 sound Holsteins dairy cows kept either inside or outside their home environment. MNT testing was performed using five consecutive mechanical nociceptive stimulations per cow per test at a fixed pre-encoded target rate of 2.1. N/s. The habituation procedure performed in dairy cows kept in their home environment led to lowered intra-individual coefficient of variation of MNT (P<. 0.001), increased MNT (P<. 0.001) and decreased the discrepancy between applied and target force during stimulations (P<. 0.001). Pre-test habituation improved the reliability of the handheld tool when used in dairy cows kept in their home environment.

U2 - 10.1016/j.rvsc.2015.07.020

DO - 10.1016/j.rvsc.2015.07.020

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 26412542

SN - 0034-5288

VL - 120

SP - 189

EP - 195

JO - Research in Veterinary Science

JF - Research in Veterinary Science

ER -