Which evoked pain sensitivity outcome was observed in meloxicam-treated calves?

• A. Reduced nociceptive threshold response
• B. Increased nociceptive threshold response
• C. No change in nociception
• D. Prolonged nociceptive reflex latency

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that analgesia from NSAIDs like meloxicam dampens pain signaling observed in evoked pain tests. Meloxicam reduces inflammation and peripheral sensitization, so calves treated with it typically show a weaker reaction to a controlled noxious stimulus. In this study, the observed outcome was a reduced nociceptive threshold response, meaning their behavioral response to the threshold stimulus was diminished compared with controls. This diminished pain response aligns with the analgesic effect of the drug. A longer reflex latency or no change would indicate different patterns of nociception, and an increased threshold would suggest the opposite of analgesia, neither of which matched what was observed here.