Changes in facial expressions during short term emotional stress as described by a Facial Action Coding System in horses
Animals subjected to stress is a well-known issue that has to be taken into account when working in a clinical environment. A stress response is closely related to several physiological and behavioural effects that could potentially mask symptoms of pain. So far, research has focused on evaluating s...
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| Formato: | H3 |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés sueco |
| Publicado: |
SLU/Dept. of Clinical Sciences (until 231231)
2018
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| Materias: |
| _version_ | 1855572240460939264 |
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| author | Lundblad, Johan |
| author_browse | Lundblad, Johan |
| author_facet | Lundblad, Johan |
| author_sort | Lundblad, Johan |
| collection | Epsilon Archive for Student Projects |
| description | Animals subjected to stress is a well-known issue that has to be taken into account when working in a clinical environment. A stress response is closely related to several physiological and behavioural effects that could potentially mask symptoms of pain. So far, research has focused on evaluating stress using ethograms or physiological indicators. However, little has been focused on using facial expressions when evaluating stress. This is important because only a little research regarding facial expressions of pain has considered the potential of other emotions affecting the readings. Therefore, this thesis discusses the concepts of pain and stress and how they work together, as well as methods for objectively evaluate pain and stress, using literature available today.
An observational semi-randomized pilot study containing six horses was performed with the objective to generate hypotheses and methodology for further studies in the area. The horses were video filmed in their own stable without observers approximately sixty minutes to collect a baseline. These films were annotated in ELAN software using the Equine Facial Action Coding System. These horses were then subjected to an emotional stressor, transportation by road, and filmed in the transport for approximately twenty minutes. During baseline filming and filming during transportation, heart rate was collected using an equine electrode transmitter that was applied on the horses’ heart silhouette. This was done to get an indication of the susceptibility to stress of the horses measured. All horses showed an increase in heart rate during transportation. The changes in the horses’ facial expressions were shown through descriptive statistics with some significance testing.
The transported horses overall showed tendencies to tension in certain facial muscles, since the frequency of nostril dilation (p=0.005) and upper eyelid raiser (p=0.02) increased during transportation. The transported horses also experienced a more extrovert behaviour regarding blinking, ear- and head movements. The frequencies of these movements increased during transportation. This thesis concludes that horses do express an increased frequency of certain facial expressions during emotional stress. It is anticipated that these may potentially affect pain evaluation using the equine pain face. However, further studies with a larger population is needed to draw further conclusions. |
| format | H3 |
| id | RepoSLU13418 |
| institution | Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences |
| language | Inglés swe |
| publishDate | 2018 |
| publishDateSort | 2018 |
| publisher | SLU/Dept. of Clinical Sciences (until 231231) |
| publisherStr | SLU/Dept. of Clinical Sciences (until 231231) |
| record_format | eprints |
| spelling | RepoSLU134182019-08-06T23:15:03Z Changes in facial expressions during short term emotional stress as described by a Facial Action Coding System in horses En beskrivning av förändringar i ansiktsuttryck när hästar utsätts för kortvarig emotionell stress Lundblad, Johan stress pain facial expression transport horse Animals subjected to stress is a well-known issue that has to be taken into account when working in a clinical environment. A stress response is closely related to several physiological and behavioural effects that could potentially mask symptoms of pain. So far, research has focused on evaluating stress using ethograms or physiological indicators. However, little has been focused on using facial expressions when evaluating stress. This is important because only a little research regarding facial expressions of pain has considered the potential of other emotions affecting the readings. Therefore, this thesis discusses the concepts of pain and stress and how they work together, as well as methods for objectively evaluate pain and stress, using literature available today. An observational semi-randomized pilot study containing six horses was performed with the objective to generate hypotheses and methodology for further studies in the area. The horses were video filmed in their own stable without observers approximately sixty minutes to collect a baseline. These films were annotated in ELAN software using the Equine Facial Action Coding System. These horses were then subjected to an emotional stressor, transportation by road, and filmed in the transport for approximately twenty minutes. During baseline filming and filming during transportation, heart rate was collected using an equine electrode transmitter that was applied on the horses’ heart silhouette. This was done to get an indication of the susceptibility to stress of the horses measured. All horses showed an increase in heart rate during transportation. The changes in the horses’ facial expressions were shown through descriptive statistics with some significance testing. The transported horses overall showed tendencies to tension in certain facial muscles, since the frequency of nostril dilation (p=0.005) and upper eyelid raiser (p=0.02) increased during transportation. The transported horses also experienced a more extrovert behaviour regarding blinking, ear- and head movements. The frequencies of these movements increased during transportation. This thesis concludes that horses do express an increased frequency of certain facial expressions during emotional stress. It is anticipated that these may potentially affect pain evaluation using the equine pain face. However, further studies with a larger population is needed to draw further conclusions. Ett välkänt problem som måste tas i beräkning när djur undersöks i en klinisk miljö är det faktum att de utsätts för emotionell stress. Stress ger upphov till en rad fysiologiska svar samt beteendeförändringar hos djuret och dessa kan potentiellt maskera symptom på smärta. I dagsläget har forskning inom området fokuserat mycket på etogram och fysiologiska indikatorer för stressutvärdering. Dock har lite fokus legat på hur stress kan utvärderas genom avläsning av ansiktsuttryck. Detta är viktigt eftersom forskningen rörande ett “smärtansikte” hos häst till låg grad har inkluderat andra emotionella stadier hos hästen när smärta utvärderas genom ansiktsuttryck. Därför fokuserar denna rapport på att diskutera koncepten smärta och stress samt hur dessa påverkar varandra. Metoder för att objektivt mäta smärta och stress diskuteras likväl. En delvis randomiserad observationsstudie innehållande sex hästar presenteras. Målet med pilotstudien är att generera hypoteser och metodologi för vidare studier inom området. Hästarna videofilmades i deras egen box utan observatörer närvarande under sextio minuter för att inhämta basvärden. Dessa filmer annoterades i programvaran ELAN med hjälp av verktyget Equine Facial Action Coding System. Efter det exponerades hästarna för emotionell stress, transport, och filmades under transporten i ungefär tjugo minuter. Under basvärdes-filmningen och filmning under transporten samlades mätvärden för hjärtfrekvens med hjälp av en elektrod men en inbyggd sändare applicerad på huden över hastens hjärtsiluett. Detta gjordes för att visa på mottaglighet av stress hos hästarna. Alla hästarna visade på en ökning av hjärtfrekvensunder transport. Förändringarna i hästarnas ansiktsuttryck visades med deskriptiv statistik med vissa signifikanstester. Hästarna visade generellt på tendenser till att uttrycka vissa ansiktsuttryck under transport. Frekvensen av dilatation av näsborren (p=0,005) och upplyft av övre ögonlocket (p=0,02) ökade under transport. Hästarna visade även på ett ökat extrovert beteende illustrerat av ökad frekvens av blinkningar samt öron- och huvudrörelser under transport. Denna rapport konkluderar att det finns tendenser till att hästar visar särskilda ansiktsuttryck under stress och att dess ansiktsuttryck eventuellt kan påverka avläsningen av hästens “smärtansikte”. Dock krävs vidare studier med en större population för att dra slutsatser som kan appliceras på en större grupp hästar. SLU/Dept. of Clinical Sciences (until 231231) 2018 H3 eng swe https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/13418/ |
| spellingShingle | stress pain facial expression transport horse Lundblad, Johan Changes in facial expressions during short term emotional stress as described by a Facial Action Coding System in horses |
| title | Changes in facial expressions during short term emotional stress as described by a Facial Action Coding System in horses |
| title_full | Changes in facial expressions during short term emotional stress as described by a Facial Action Coding System in horses |
| title_fullStr | Changes in facial expressions during short term emotional stress as described by a Facial Action Coding System in horses |
| title_full_unstemmed | Changes in facial expressions during short term emotional stress as described by a Facial Action Coding System in horses |
| title_short | Changes in facial expressions during short term emotional stress as described by a Facial Action Coding System in horses |
| title_sort | changes in facial expressions during short term emotional stress as described by a facial action coding system in horses |
| topic | stress pain facial expression transport horse |