Acupuncture Affects Autonomic and Endocrine but Not Behavioural Responses Induced by Startle in Horses
Joint Authors
Villas-Boas, Julia Dias
Dias, Daniel Penteado Martins
Trigo, Pablo Ignacio
Almeida, Norma Aparecida dos Santos
de Almeida, Fernando Queiroz
de Medeiros, Magda Alves
Source
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Issue
Vol. 2015, Issue 2015 (31 Dec. 2015), pp.1-9, 9 p.
Publisher
Hindawi Publishing Corporation
Publication Date
2015-08-30
Country of Publication
Egypt
No. of Pages
9
Main Subjects
Abstract EN
Startle is a fast response elicited by sudden acoustic, tactile, or visual stimuli in a variety of animals and in humans.
As the magnitude of startle response can be modulated by external and internal variables, it can be a useful tool to study reaction to stress.
Our study evaluated whether acupuncture can change cardiac autonomic modulation (heart rate variability); and behavioural (reactivity) and endocrine (cortisol levels) parameters in response to startle.
Brazilian Sport horses ( n = 6 ) were subjected to a model of startle in which an umbrella was abruptly opened near the horse.
Before startle, the horses were subjected to a 20-minute session of acupuncture in acupoints GV1, HT7, GV20, and BL52 (ACUP) and in nonpoints (NP) or left undisturbed (CTL).
For analysis of the heart rate variability, ultrashort-term (64 s) heart rate series were interpolated (4 Hz) and divided into 256-point segments and the spectra integrated into low (LF; 0.01–0.07 Hz; index of sympathetic modulation) and high (HF; 0.07–0.50 Hz; index of parasympathetic modulation) frequency bands.
Acupuncture (ACUP) changed the sympathovagal balance with a shift towards parasympathetic modulation, reducing the prompt startle-induced increase in LF/HF and reducing cortisol levels 30 min after startle.
However, acupuncture elicited no changes in behavioural parameters.
American Psychological Association (APA)
Villas-Boas, Julia Dias& Dias, Daniel Penteado Martins& Trigo, Pablo Ignacio& Almeida, Norma Aparecida dos Santos& de Almeida, Fernando Queiroz& de Medeiros, Magda Alves. 2015. Acupuncture Affects Autonomic and Endocrine but Not Behavioural Responses Induced by Startle in Horses. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine،Vol. 2015, no. 2015, pp.1-9.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1061257
Modern Language Association (MLA)
Villas-Boas, Julia Dias…[et al.]. Acupuncture Affects Autonomic and Endocrine but Not Behavioural Responses Induced by Startle in Horses. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine No. 2015 (2015), pp.1-9.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1061257
American Medical Association (AMA)
Villas-Boas, Julia Dias& Dias, Daniel Penteado Martins& Trigo, Pablo Ignacio& Almeida, Norma Aparecida dos Santos& de Almeida, Fernando Queiroz& de Medeiros, Magda Alves. Acupuncture Affects Autonomic and Endocrine but Not Behavioural Responses Induced by Startle in Horses. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2015. Vol. 2015, no. 2015, pp.1-9.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1061257
Data Type
Journal Articles
Language
English
Notes
Includes bibliographical references
Record ID
BIM-1061257