Lecture 12 - Freedom from Health, Disease and Pain

Question 1

What were the traditional indicators of well being

Answer 1

Growth, reproduction

Question 2

How is increased survival/growth = better wellbeing BUTTT…

Answer 2

Better nutrition, better health care
BUT production is a measure of economic success, not wellbeing

Question 3

Veterinarians role?

Answer 3

Treat injuries, disease
Reduce disease incidence
Pain control
Advise/educate

Question 4

Why is defining pain in animals tricky

Answer 4

Animal and human experiences to pain in response to the same stimuli may not be the same
Use human pain as reference

Question 5

Define pain in animals. Results in…

Answer 5

Aversive sensory experience eliciting protective motor actions
Results in learned avoidance and modified behaviour

Question 6

What is chronic neuropathic pain

Answer 6

“intractable pain”
Does not respond to treatments
Might just be nerves activating, nothing actually wrong

Question 7

What is acute pain

Answer 7

immediate stimulation of nociceptors

Question 8

What is chronic inflammatory pain

Answer 8

Healing persists beyond expected time

Question 9

Nociception vs pain?

Answer 9

Nociception detects noxious stimulus (no brain required)

Pain is an experience, product of mental processing of noxious stimulus

Pain perception includes nociception, Nociception does not include pain perception

Question 10

Describe the process of a painful experience

Answer 10

Noxious stimulation of tissues (peripheral mechanisms) lead to unconscious nociceptive processing by spinal cord & brain (central mechanisms)

Question 11

A ‘reflex’ is what mechanism

Answer 11

Peripheral mechanism

Question 12

Describe in depth how nociceptors function

Answer 12

Nerves generate electrical signal (action potential), travels along nerve fibres to spinal cord and brain
Sense noxious stimuli (pricking, stretching, heat, cold)

Question 13

What nociceptors are in the intestines?

Answer 13

Stretch receptors, no pricking/cutting receptors

Question 14

Peripheral mechanisms are in

Answer 14

Skin, bone, tissues

Question 15

Allodynia is…

Answer 15

Pain from stimulation not normally painful (e.g. light touch/stroke sunburn)

Question 16

Hyperalgesia is…

Answer 16

increased pain when same stimulus repeated

Question 17

To process pain, what must happen?

Answer 17

It must reach the brain

Question 18

Reflex vs pain sensation

Answer 18

Reflex to noxious stimulus in absence of CNS transmission

Pain sensation requires CNS

Question 19

What responses are generated through the hypothalamus

Answer 19

Autonomic responses (fight/flight, HPA)

Question 20

Where does the experience of pain occur

Answer 20

Higher centres in cerebral cortex

Question 21

How do animals cope with pain

Answer 21

Downregulate severity of pain

Coping mechanisms involving physiological or behavioural changes
Self or stress-induced analgesia

Question 22

What is breakthrough pain

Answer 22

When the coping mechnism is overpowered temporarily

Question 23

What are some postural responses to pain

Answer 23

Lying on side, dog-sitting (horses), “praying,” stretching

Question 24

How do we assess pain through activity (characteristics)

Answer 24

Restlessness, kick, paw, rolling, tail wag, arching back, head turn, licking

Question 25

Eight ways of assessing pain level

Answer 25

posture, gait, activity, vocalization, mental state, evoked behaviour, facial expressions, analgesics

Question 26

Characteristics of pain (mental state)

Answer 26

Aware, bright, alert, responsive (BAR) = no pain
Dull, depressed, unresponsive, anxious, timid, aggressive, decrease play

Question 27

How do behaviours change when an animal is in pain

Answer 27

Wildlife allow to approach
Prey animals don’t watch approach
Palpation, pinch, probe, manipulate
Aggression, vocalize

Question 28

Assessing rat grimace scale

Answer 28

Orbital tightening, nose/cheek flattening, ear changes, whisker changes

Question 29

What do physiological changes indicate

Answer 29

Changes in hypothalamo-pituitary-adrnal system

Question 30

Pain relief options =

Answer 30

opiods, anti-inflam, analgesics, anesthesia

Question 31

Questions asked when performing elective procedure

Answer 31

Necessary? When? Alternatives? Anesthesia?

Question 32

How are poor welfare and disease intertwined

Answer 32

Poor welfare can cause disease (immunosuppression) which can cause poor welfare…

Question 33

Stress definition

Answer 33

Environmental effect on individual that results in adverse consequences and reduced fitness

Question 34

Responses to stress =

Answer 34

Brain activity, physiological responses, behavioural changes