Cats are wearing hats for science—as researchers use brain scans to understand pain in arthritic felines, and find a way to soothe it.
It’s a world first for veterinary scientists at the University of Montreal (UdeM): they found a way to scan the brains of cats while they’re still awake, using electrodes concealed under specially-knitted wool caps.
Chronic pain associated with osteoarthritis affects over 25 % of the adult feline population and this incidence increases with age. Seeking to understand how cats experience the chronic pain, the researchers wanted to create a non-invasive method to study their brains.
In previous studies, the cat subjects would shake off and chew the wires of traditional electrodes. The answer was to incorporate the sensors into comfy crocheted beanies.
“We had the idea of the little knitted hat that would keep the electrodes in place,” said Aude Castel, Assistant Professor at UdeM Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in the Department of Clinical Sciences.
The team wanted to use sensory stimulation to try to reduce the aches, exposing the cats to soothing stimuli such as colored lights and comforting smells, as a way to ease their suffering.