Simultaneous Measurement of Brain Activity, Physiology & Behavior in Large Animals

Assessing an animal’s neuro-physiological and behavioral reaction to external stimuli simultaneously, continuously, and non-invasively is a major aim of applied animal welfare research to interpret a situation from the animal’s perspective. The purpose of this study was to assess responses of large animals (sheep) to 3 model situations with positive, intermediate and negative emotional valence. The following reactions of up to 19 sheep were recorded: brain activity using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, facial expressions (ear postures and eye aperture), electrocardiogram, respiration rate, and electro-dermal activity. All variables were successfully recorded in the sheep and are promising to assess stress and well-being in sheep and potentially other large animals. The combination of several methods resulted in a comprehensive picture of the animals’ reactions to environmental stimuli, initiating innovative animal research that combines neuroimaging, physiological monitoring and behavioral observations.