Comparison of Infrared Thermal Imaging with Two Canine Pain Assessment Tools in Dogs Undergoing Treatment for Chronic Back Pain

Historically, the evaluation and assessment of the clinical response to treatment for canine back pain is subjective and relies on owner and clinician assessment of pain. This study evaluated the use of sequential infrared thermal images as a measure of the response of canine patients with back pain to a prescribed series of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) treatments. Qualifying participants had histories of pain and dysfunction associated with spinal osteoarthritis or intervertebral disk disease, or of non-specific uni- or bilateral back pain along the paravertebral epaxial muscles. Each patient was initially thermally imaged prior to PBMT treatment and then received multiple PBMT treatments delivered to the appropriate spinal area on days 1, 2, 3, and 4. Participants were reimaged on day 7. Thermal images provided an objective measure of superficial temperature changes over the area of PBMT treatment of each patient after the PBMT regimen. The temperature correlated with statistically significant changes in Colorado State University Canine Chronic Pain Scale scoring (CPS) and owner assessment using the Canine Brief Pain Inventory (CBPI), which includes a Pain Severity Score (PSS) and Pain Interference Score (PIS). The correlation of objective thermal imaging data with more subjective outcome measures suggests thermal imaging may be a valuable additional tool in monitoring therapy outcome.

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Comparison of Infrared Thermal Imaging with Two Canine Pain Assessment Tools in Dogs Undergoing Treatment for Chronic Back Pain

10.20944/preprints202112.0010.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Emily Freeman ◽

Jennifer F. Johnson ◽

John C. Godbold, Jr ◽

Ronald J. Riegel

Keyword(s):

Back Pain ◽

Clinical Response ◽

Chronic Back Pain ◽

Objective Assessment ◽

Brief Pain Inventory ◽

Objective Evaluation ◽

Intervertebral Disk ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Response To Treatment ◽

Infrared Thermal Imaging

Historically, the evaluation and assessment of the clinical response to treatment for canine back pain is subjective and relies on owner and clinician assessment of pain. Sequential infrared thermal images (IRTIs) objectively measure the patient’s physiological response after a prescribed series of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) treatments. Qualifying participants had histories of pain and dysfunction associated with spinal osteoarthritis or intervertebral disk disease, or of non-specific uni- or bilateral back pain along the paravertebral epaxial muscles. Each patient was initially IRT imaged prior to PBMT treatment and then received multiple PBMT treatments delivered to the appropriate spinal area on days 1, 2, 3, and 4. Participants were reimaged on day 7. IRT images provided an objective assessment of the physiologic status of each patient after the PBMT regimen. The thermal changes in IRT images correlated with statistically significant changes in Colorado State University Canine Chronic Pain Scale scoring (CSU-CCPS) and owner assessment using the Canine Brief Pain Inventory (CBPI), which includes a Pain Severity Score (CBPI-PS) and Pain Interference Score (CBPI-PI). This proof-of-concept study demonstrates that IRTI provides an objective evaluation of response to PBMT treatment and correlates with observed and measured clinical response.

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Nonspecific Chronic Back Pain: Sixth Edition Approaches

Guides Newsletter ◽

10.1001/amaguidesnewsletters.2019.sepoct03 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 24 (5) ◽

pp. 14-15

Author(s):

Jay Blaisdell ◽

James B. Talmage

Keyword(s):

Back Pain ◽

Chronic Back Pain ◽

Intervertebral Disk ◽

Key Factors ◽

Sixth Edition ◽

Whole Person ◽

Class 1 ◽

A Cell ◽

Intervertebral Disk Herniation ◽

The Individual

Abstract Ratings for “non-specific chronic, or chronic reoccurring, back pain” are based on the diagnosis-based impairment method whereby an impairment class, usually representing a range of impairment values within a cell of a grid, is selected by diagnosis and “specific criteria” (key factors). Within the impairment class, the default impairment value then can be modified using non-key factors or “grade modifiers” such as functional history, physical examination, and clinical studies using the net adjustment formula. The diagnosis of “nonspecific chronic, or chronic reoccurring, back pain” can be rated in class 0 and 1; the former has a default value of 0%, and the latter has a default value of 2% before any modifications. The key concept here is that the physician believes that the patient is experiencing pain, yet there are no related objective findings, most notably radiculopathy as distinguished from “nonverifiable radicular complaints.” If the individual is found not to have radiculopathy and the medical record shows that the patient has never had clinically verifiable radiculopathy, then the diagnosis of “intervertebral disk herniation and/or AOMSI [alteration of motion segment integrity] cannot be used.” If the patient is asymptomatic at maximum medical improvement, then impairment Class 0 should be chosen, not Class 1; a final whole person impairment rating of 1% indicates incorrect use of the methodology.

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A Tool for Classifying Individuals with Chronic Back Pain: Using Multivariate Pattern Analysis with Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Data

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0098007 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. e98007 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Daniel Callan ◽

Lloyd Mills ◽

Connie Nott ◽

Robert England ◽

Shaun England

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽

Back Pain ◽

Pattern Analysis ◽

Chronic Back Pain ◽

Multivariate Pattern Analysis ◽

Imaging Data ◽

Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽

Resonance Imaging ◽

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Data ◽

Multivariate Pattern

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Evaluation of Beef Cattle Temperament Attributes Using Infrared Thermography Technology

Meat and Muscle Biology ◽

10.22175/mmb.10831 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

Author(s):

W. P. Ogdahl ◽

J. Young ◽

J. Frandrup ◽

L. L. Hulsman Hanna ◽

X. Sun

Keyword(s):

Standard Deviation ◽

Beef Cattle ◽

Infrared Thermography ◽

Thermal Imaging ◽

Qualitative Behavior ◽

Regression Analyses ◽

Imaging Data ◽

Total N ◽

Thermal Images ◽

Temperament Traits

ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to evaluate beef cattle temperament scores using infrared thermography technology.Materials and MethodsAngus and Angus × Hereford calves (total n = 650) were brought through a handling chute system over two weaning sessions (October 2016 and 2017). Beef cattle temperament was subjectively quantified by (1) temperament score (TS), the disposition of the animal observed by an individual evaluator on a scale of 1 (calm) to 5 (excitable); (2) docility score (DS), the level of observed calmness of the animal displayed (1 = calm to 6 = excitable); and (3) qualitative behavior assessment (QBA), scored on twelve different attributes, (i.e., active, relaxed, etc.). There were two traits measured on a four-platform standing scale: (1) the standard deviation of total weight over time (SSD); and (2) the SSD’s coefficient of variation (CVSSD). Thermal images of the animal’s head were acquired by industrial fixed focus infrared camera (TiS40, Fluke Corporation, Everett, WA). The maximum, minimum, average, and standard deviation of temperature of the eye region were extracted from the thermal images. Stepwise and linear regression analyses to estimate subjective temperament traits from thermal imaging data and scale data were conducted using the reg procedure in SAS (v. 9.4, SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC). Correlations were estimated using the corr procedure in SAS.ResultsThe results showed low correlations between thermal imaging and subjective temperament traits. The correlations that were significant were around an absolute value of 0.1. However, all four thermal imaging traits were significantly correlated when the animal exhibited distress observed by QBA. When fitting only thermal imaging data into the regression analyses, R2 values were all under 0.03. When including SSD and CVSSD, there were a few traits with an R2 > 0.1 and none having an R2 > 0.15. The QBA traits that had an R2 between 0.1 and 0.15 were active, fearful, calm, apathetic, happy, and distressed for both linear and stepwise regressions.ConclusionAdditional validation research on this thermal imaging technology needs to be conducted with temperamental cattle as this current data was collected using observed calmer cattle, to give a more realistic application to beef cattle production. Overall this result shows potential to achieve beef cattle temperament evaluation with thermal imaging.Figure 1.

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