Air- and bone-conduction brainstem auditory evoked potentials and flash visual evoked potentials in cats.
OBJECTIVE
To document normal values for air- and bone-conducted brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) and for flash visual evoked potentials (VEP) in cats.


METHODS
10 mixed-breed cats (5 males) with normal physical, neurologic, otoscopic, and funduscopic examination results.


METHODS
BAEP in response to air- and bone-conducted click stimuli and VEP in response to flash stimuli were recorded to document species normative data. Mean and SD values were calculated for amplitudes and latencies of 4 peaks in the BAEP in response to air- and bone-conducted stimuli, and for latencies to 5 peaks and the 4 associated peak-to-peak amplitudes in the VEP.


RESULTS
BAEP peak latencies increased and peak amplitudes decreased with decreasing stimulus intensity. Latencies were shorter for bone-conducted stimuli owing to the shorter transit time to the cochlea through bone, compared with air, but there were no differences for interpeak latencies. The BAEP and VEP recordings were similar to those reported for cats in other reports and were similar to those seen in other species.


CONCLUSIONS
Normative data will permit performance of noninvasive electrodiagnostic evaluation of feline auditory and visual systems.
Strain
G M
GM
Department of Veterinary Physiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge 70803, USA.
Tedford
B L
BL
Littlefield-Chabaud
M A
MA
Treviño
L T
LT
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000388:Air; D000818:Animals; D001842:Bone and Bones; D002415:Cats; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004568:Electrodiagnosis / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011930:Reaction Time; D012016:Reference Values