Canadian scientists knitted little wool caps to prevent cats from shaking off electrodes used to test them for chronic pain.
Fée, an abandoned cat with chronic osteoarthritis – a condition that causes joints to become painful and stiff – was one of 11 who had woolen hats knitted for them by veterinary scientists at Université de Montréal.
This allowed scientists to carry out brain scans of Fée and others without sedating them. When they’re awake, cats normally shake off and chew the wired electrodes placed on their heads for the procedure.
However, the beanies concealed the wires and kept everything in place, allowing the scientists to produce electroencephalograms (EEGs), which measure electrical activity in the brain, while the cats were fully awake.
The apparently simple solution is nonetheless a “world first,” according to Université de Montréal, where researchers Éric Troncy and Aude Castel led the study.
Using the new method, the scientists tested 11 adult cats with osteoarthritis. After assessing their stress and pain through stimuli passed through the electrodes, the researchers then exposed the cats to colored lights and comforting smells to ease their suffering.
The scientists will now seek funding “to enable us to establish a genuine EEG signature for chronic pain and many other applications that will enable us to automate chronic pain detection in the future,” Troncy said.
One such example is a study that is already underway to test the synchronicity of cerebral waves in cats – and also dogs – and their owners, according to Université de Montréal.
The study detailing the use of knitted hats was published in the Journal of Neuroscience Methods.
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