Evaluation of blink parameters obtained by electrical stimulation in general anaesthetised dogs

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the blink reflex and general anesthesia in dogs. Dogs brought for castration or ovariohysterectomy without any other problems were included in the study. In dogs anesthetized for the surgical procedure, anesthesia was kept constant at 2.9 MAC. Following the procedure, the supramaximal electrical stimulation was applied to the supraorbital nerve for every 0.1 MAC value decline, beginning at 2.9 end tidal MAC, and blink parameters were recorded from both orbicularis oculi muscles. The latency, amplitude, duration, and differential latency values of blink parameters obtained independently of MAC under general anesthesia were revealed. At the same time, it was also determined which blink parameters were obtained in which MAC value range. Previous studies have shown that the R2 and RC are highly affected by the level of consciousness, and the RC disappears under general anaesthesia. The R2 value was most commonly obtained between 1.1 and 1.0 MAC, but the dogs did not respond to any stimulus when the R2 value was obtained. However, since previous studies have shown that the level of consciousness affects R2 values, it was assumed that surgical anesthesia may have disappeared in the MAC ranges where this value was measured. The MAC value from which the RC value was obtained was found to be 0.88, and it was assumed that it could be accepted as the average MAC value at which the effect of general anesthesia was eliminated for dogs.

Keywords

• blink reflex
• dog
• electromyography
• minimal alveolar concentration

References

1. Aktekin B, Yaltkaya K, Ozkaynak S, et al (2001): Recovery cycle of the blink reflex and exteroceptive suppression of temporalis muscle activity in migraine and tension-type headache. Headache, 41, 142-149.
2. Alvillar BM, Boscan P, Mama KR, et al (2012): Effect of epidural and intravenous use of the neurokinin-1 (NK-1) receptor antagonist maropitant on the sevoflurane minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) in dogs. Vet Anaesth Analg, 39, 201–205.
3. Anor S, Espadaler JM, Pastor J, et al (2000): Electrically induced blink reflex and facial motor nerve stimulation in beagles. J Vet Intern Med, 14, 418– 423.
4. Aramideh M, Ongerboer de Visser BW (2002). Brainstem reflexes: Electrodiagnostic techniques, physiology, normative data, and clinical applications. Muscle Nerve, 26, 14-30.
5. Bernard JM, Pereon Y (2005): Nerve stimulation for regional Anesthesia of the Face: Use of the Blink Reflex to Confirm the Localization of the Trigeminal Nerve. Anesth Analg, 101, 589 –91.
6. Cruccu G, Agostıno R, Berardellı A, et al (1986): Excitability of the corneal reflex in man. Neurosci Lett, 63, 320-324.
7. Deletis V, Urriza J, Ulkatan S, et al (2009): The feasibility of recording blink reflexes under general anesthesia. Muscle Nerve, 39(5), 642–646.
8. Ferreira A, Vide S, Felgueiras J, et al (2020): Electromyographic assessment of blink refex throughout the transition from responsiveness to unresponsiveness during induction with propofol and remifentanil. J Clin Monit Comput, 35(6), 1279-1289.

9. Giffin NJ, Kowacs F, Libri V, et al (2003): Effect of the adenosine A1 receptor agonist GR79236 on trigeminal nociception with blink reflex recordings in healthy human subjects. Cephalalgia, 23, 287–292.
10. Marelli RA, Hillel AD (1989): Effects of general anesthesıa on the human blink reflex. Head Neck, 11, 137-149.
11. Moller AR, Jannetta PJ (1986): Blink reflex in patients with hemifacial spasm. Observations during microvascular decompression operations. J Neurol Sci, 72, 171.
12. Mourısse J, Gerrıts W, Lerou J, et al (2003): Electromyographic assessment of blink and corneal reflexes during midazolam administration: useful methods for assessing depth of anesthesia. Acta Anaesth Scand, 47, 593-600.
13. Mourısse J, Lerou J, Zwarts M, et al (2004): Electromyographic assessment of blink reflexes correlates with a clinical scale of depth of sedation/anaesthesia and BIS during propofol administration. Acta Anaesth Scand, 48, 1174-1179.
14. Müller J, Plöchl W, Mühlbacher P, et al (2022): The Effect of Pregabalin on the Minimum Alveolar Concentration of Sevoflurane: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Clinical Trial. Front Med, 9, 883181.
15. Romaniello A, Valls-Sole J, Iannetti GD et al (2001): Nociceptive Quality of the Laser-Evoked Blink Reflex in Humans. J Neurophysiol, 87, 1386-1394.
16. Smit AE (2009): Blinking and the Brain: Pathways and Pathology. Avaliable at http://hdl.handle.net/1765/14477. (Accessed Feb 15, 2019).
17. Thomas JA, Lerche P (2017): Introduction to Anesthesia. 1-6. In: JA Thomas, P Lerche (Eds), Anesthesia and Analgesia for Analgesia for Veterinary Technicians. 5th ed. Elsevier, St. Louis, Missouri.
18. Tranquilli WJ, Grimm KA (2015): Introduction: Use, Definitions, History, Concepts, Classification, and Considerations for Anesthesia and Analgesia. 3-10. In: KA Grimm, LA Lamont, WJ Tranquilli, SA Greene, SA Robertson (Eds). Lumb and Jones Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia. 5th ed. John Wiley & Sons, Iowa, USA.
19. Yoo J, Cho J, Kim D (2012): Utilization of averaging process of blink reflex to ımprove diagnosis of facial nerve palsy. J Exp Biomed Sci, 18, 391-398.