title: Visual and quantitative electroencephalographic analysis of healthy young and adult cats under medetomidine sedation.
abstract: A study was designed to investigate the effect of medetomidine sedation on quantitative electroencephalography (q-EEG) in healthy young and adult cats to determine objective guidelines for diagnostic EEG recordings and interpretation. Preliminary visual examination of EEG recordings revealed high-voltage low-frequency background activity. Spindles, k-complexes and vertex sharp transients characteristic of sleep or sedation were superimposed on a low background activity. Neither paroxysmal activity nor EEG burst-suppression were observed. The spectral analysis of q-EEG included four parameters, namely, relative power (%), and mean, median and peak frequency (Hz) of all four frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha and beta). The findings showed a prevalence of slow delta and theta rhythms as opposed to fast alpha and beta rhythms in both young (group A) and adult (group B) cats. A posterior gradient was reported for the theta band and an anterior gradient for the alpha and beta bands in both groups, respectively. The relative power value in group B compared to group A was significantly higher for theta, alpha and beta bands, and lower for the delta band. The mean and median frequency values in group B was significantly higher for delta, theta and beta bands and lower for the alpha band. The study has shown that a medetomidine sedation protocol for feline EEG may offer a method for investigating bio-electrical cortical activity. The use of q-EEG analysis showed a decrease in high frequency bands and increased activity of the low frequency band in healthy cats under medetomidine sedation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Neurology, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Länggassstrasse 128, CH-3001 Bern, Switzerland. marcin.wrzosek@itn.unibe.ch
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wrzosek
authors.forename: Jozef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nicpon
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bergamasco
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sammartano
authors.forename: Sigitas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cizinauskas
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jaggy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards / Q000662:veterinary*; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020926:Medetomidine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D020926:Medetomidine