SPINAL DYSMYELINATION IN NEWBORN BROWN SWISS X BRAUNVIEH CALVES

In four new-born Braunvieh calves suffering from connate recumbency an d body tremor, a hitherto not described myelination disorder of the sp inal cord was examined. Bilateral symmetric hypo- as well as demyelina tion in several spinal tracts were the most conspicuous findings, affe cting the ascending gracile funiculus, the ascending dorsolateral spin ocerebellar tract, and the mainly descending sulcomarginal tract. Defi cient myelin production, loss of myelin, consecutive axonal degenerati ons, and prominent astrogliosis within these tracts were the histologi cal hallmarks of the disease. This possibly inherited primary myelinat ion disorder of the spinal cord differs markedly from known hereditary neurological diseases in Brown Swiss and Braunvieh cattle, respective ly, i.e. the weaver-syndrome and the spinal muscular atrophy.