Shivering and Stringhalt

Question 1

What is the pathophysiology of stiff horse syndrome?

Answer 1

Antibodies against glutamic acid decarboxylase which produces the active form of GABA are found in the CSF of affected horses - causes continual firing of motor units

Question 2

What are the neuro pathological lesions associated with shivering?

Answer 2

Distal axonal degeneration in the cerebellar Purkinje cells within the deep cerebellar nuclei - 80 fold increase in calretinin negative calbindin positive, glutamic acid decarboxylase-positive spheroids in Purkinje axons