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Updated: May 31, 2026
In Vivo Electrophysiological Measurement of the Rat Ulnar Nerve with Axonal Excitability Testing
Published on: February 6, 2018
Quantitative assessment of physiological and behavioural parameters in healthy dairy cows evoked by transcutaneous
Franziska Kirscher1, Rupert M Bruckmaier, Claudia Spadavecchia
1Clinic for Ruminants, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Berne, Switzerland. franziska.kirscher@knp.unibe.ch
Abstract:
The pain and distress associated with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) of the udder was evaluated by treating 20 healthy dairy cows with an electrical udder stimulator. This generated a sequence of pulses (frequency: 160±10% impulses per second, duration 250 μs) and provided voltage ranges from 0 to 10 volts (±10%). Trials took place on three consecutive days, twice daily after morning and evening milking. Daily sessions were divided into two periods: (1) control (sham treatment) and (2) treatment (real treatment). Physiological (heart rate, respiratory rate, and plasma cortisol concentration) as well as ethological parameters (kicking, weight shifting, and looking backwards to udder) were defined as pain-indicating parameters and observed. Evaluation of data showed that only one parameter (kicking) was significantly increased during real treatment compared to sham treatment. It is concluded that the TENS therapy tested in this study can evoke changes in behaviour (increased kicking) consistent with an experience of pain in some cows.
