Assessing gastrointestinal motility in healthy horses comparing auscultation, ultrasonography and an acoustic gastrointestinal surveillance biosensor: a randomised, blinded, controlled crossover proof of principle study.
Authors: VanderBroek A R, Reef V B, Aitken M R, Stefanovski D, Southwood L L
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Assessing gastrointestinal motility in horses: comparing traditional methods with acoustic biosensor technology Detecting reduced intestinal motility is clinically important in equine practice, yet current non-invasive assessment methods—auscultation and ultrasonography—have recognised limitations in sensitivity and consistency. VanderBroek and colleagues evaluated whether acoustic gastrointestinal surveillance (AGIS) biosensors, already validated in human medicine, could match or improve upon these conventional techniques by comparing all three modalities in six healthy horses receiving either xylazine (a known GI depressant) or saline across fasted and fed states. Using standardised placement of acoustic sensors at four abdominal locations, combined with traditional auscultatory grading of borborygmi and ultrasonographic assessment of duodenal, jejunal and caecal contractions, the researchers found all three methods successfully detected the motility suppression induced by xylazine, with comparable diagnostic accuracy (area under the ROC curve of 0.85–0.86). Whilst auscultation demonstrated the highest sensitivity (88%) for identifying reduced motility, AGIS achieved balanced performance (69% sensitivity, 70% specificity) equivalent to ultrasonography and potentially offered more objective quantification through acoustic signal measurement. Although this proof-of-principle study was limited to healthy animals in controlled conditions, AGIS biosensors warrant further investigation in clinical colic cases, particularly where objective motility assessment could guide treatment decisions and monitor response to therapy.
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Practical Takeaways
- •AGIS biosensors show promise as a noninvasive alternative to traditional motility assessment methods, with comparable accuracy to auscultation and ultrasound in detecting sedative-induced ileus
- •In clinical practice, auscultation remains highly sensitive for detecting motility changes, though AGIS may offer objective, quantifiable data to supplement traditional clinical assessment
- •This proof-of-principle study was limited to healthy horses under controlled conditions; clinical validation in colic cases and diseased populations is needed before routine adoption in practice
Key Findings
- •AGIS biosensors detected reduced gastrointestinal motility following xylazine administration with AUC ROC of 0.86, comparable to auscultation (0.85) and ultrasonography (0.84)
- •Auscultation demonstrated highest sensitivity (88%) but lower specificity (71%), while AGIS and ultrasonography showed more balanced sensitivity/specificity profiles (69-70%)
- •All three modalities (auscultation, ultrasonography, AGIS) successfully discriminated between xylazine-treated and saline control horses in healthy horses under experimental conditions