HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Swatland, H. J. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Swatland, H. J.

An Electrocorticographic Study of Necrobiosis in the Brains of Electrically Stunned and Exsanguinated Pigs¹

University of Guelph², Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Abstract

Ten pigs were slaughtered in an abattoir by exsanguination after electrical stunning. Stainless steel needle electrodes were inserted through the frontal bones and into the cerebral cortex. Postmortem electrocorticographic (ECoG) activity was detected for a variable length of time in all animals (range 15 to 110 min). ECoG activity was generally cyclic with rarely more than 1.2 cycles/sec at approximately 10 min postmortem. The frequency of cycles declined progressively while their amplitude declined asymptotically (initial magnitude approximately .2 mv, final magnitude approximately .02 mv). Brief bursts or repeated single spikes of high amplitude activity (approximately 2.4 mv) were often detected towards the end of recorded activity. These results show that, although pigs lose consciousness as a result of stunning and exsanguination, necrobiotic central nervous system activity may persist for a considerable period postmortem.

¹ Research supported by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food by a grant from the National Research Council of Canada.

² Department of Animal and Poultry Science.