Analysis of respiratory sounds of performance horses in the diagnosis of laringeal hemiplegia

Abstract

Hemiplegia of the larynx is one of the main diseases that affect the upper airway in horses.  Alternative methods have been researched to determine the effects of different degrees of hemiplegia on the performance of horses.  The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of employing the analysis of respiratory sounds to diagnose hemiplegia of the larynx during intense physical activity while in real conditions exercising on the track.  Ten horses were used to perform this study; the horses were divided into three groups:  healthy animals (control group), animals that underwent an experimental induction of hemiplegia of the larynx (HLI), and– animals naturally affected by the disease (HL).  An intranasal probe containing a microphone attached to a digital recorder was positioned in the pharynx and used to record the sounds.  The sounds were transferred to a laptop and analyzed.  The maximum decibel of the inhalation of HLI and HL demonstrated a significant difference when compared with control group, while the other data showed no significant differences.  The magnitude of the maximum decibels of  inhalation were shown to be significantly different in animals with both natural and induced forms of hemiplegia of the larynx; this method can thus be used in the diagnosis of hemiplegia of the larynx and its interference with the athletic performance of horses in field conditions.