title: Transcranial magnetic stimulation in Doberman Pinschers with clinically relevant and clinically irrelevant spinal cord compression on magnetic resonance imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation for differentiating between clinically relevant and clinically irrelevant cervical spinal cord compression on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Validation study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinically normal Doberman Pinschers without (n = 11) and with (6) spinal cord compression on MRI and 16 Doberman Pinschers with disk-associated wobbler syndrome (DAWS).
  
  
  METHODS
  After dogs were sedated, transcranial magnetic motor evoked potentials were recorded from the extensor carpi radialis muscle (ECRM) and cranial tibial muscle (CTM). Onset latencies and peak-to-peak amplitudes were measured. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed to identify spinal cord compression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were significant differences in ECRM and CTM onset latencies between Doberman Pinschers with DAWS and each of the 2 groups of clinically normal dogs, but there were no significant differences in ECRM and CTM onset latencies between the 2 groups of clinically normal dogs. There were significant differences in CTM peak-to-peak amplitudes between Doberman Pinschers with DAWS and each of the 2 groups of clinically normal dogs, but there were no significant differences in ECRM peak-to-peak amplitudes among groups or in CTM peak-to-peak amplitudes between the 2 groups of clinically normal dogs. There was a significant correlation between severity of spinal cord compression and ECRM onset latency, CTM onset latency, and CTM peak-to-peak amplitude.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results suggested that transcranial magnetic stimulation may be a useful diagnostic tool to differentiate between clinically relevant and clinically irrelevant spinal cord compression identified on MRI alone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Small Animal Medicine and Clinical Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium. sdedecker@rvc.ac.uk
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Decker
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Van Soens
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Duchateau
authors.forename: Ingrid M V L
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Gielen
authors.forename: Henri J J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: van Bree
authors.forename: Dominique H A R
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Binst
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Waelbers
authors.forename: Luc M L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Van Ham
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*