Laboratory Animals > Volume 42, Number 2 > Pp. 213-221

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Electroencephalography in the diagnosis of hydrocephalus in golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus)

M S Bali ^* , S Gebhardt-Henrich , P Keller ^*, A Steiger , R Gattermann , L Bergamasco , P Kronen ^*, M G Doherr ^*, C Botteron ^*, A Tomek ^* and A Jaggy ^*

^* Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland; Institute of Animal Genetics, Nutrition and Housing, Division of Animal Housing and Welfare, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland; Institute of Zoology, Martin-Luther-University, Halle, Germany; Department of Veterinary Morphology and Physiology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy

Correspondence: M S Bali, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Berne, Bremgartenstr. 109a, CH-3001 Berne, Switzerland. Email: monty.bali{at}itn.unibe.ch

The golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) is a popular laboratory animal and is used in a multitude of behavioural studies. However, it has been shown that it suffers from different forms of hereditary hydrocephalus, which may result in behavioural changes. This prospective study was designed to look into the usefulness of electroencephalography (EEG) measurements in the diagnosis of hydrocephalus in hamsters. The EEGs of the hydrocephalic hamsters were evaluated double-blind and showed a high-voltage slow wave activity, with a fast activity superimposed onto it. This pattern has already been well described in other hydrocephalic species and differed significantly from the EEGs that were obtained from the normal hamsters. It was concluded from our study that a background activity with an amplitude over 50 µV in combination with a frequency of <5 Hz was highly indicative of hydrocephalus in young hamsters. We believe that the EEG could be a very useful diagnostic tool in the screening for hydrocephalus in hamsters.

Key Words: Hydrocephalus • hamster • electroencephalography (EEG)

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