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Voluntary control of cough
P C L Lee1, C Cotterill-Jones, R Eccles
1Common Cold Centre, Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff, CF10 3US, UK. leepcl@cardiff.ac.uk
Pulmonary Pharmacology & Therapeutics
|July 9, 2002
Summary
Human cough, typically a brainstem reflex, is also under voluntary control by the brain. This study explores the dual control of cough, proposing a new model for voluntary and reflex cough mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Respiratory Medicine
- Physiology
Background:
- Cough is traditionally viewed as a brainstem reflex.
- Emerging evidence suggests voluntary control of cough by higher brain centers, including the cerebral cortex.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the historical understanding of the brainstem 'cough centre'.
- To discuss experimental evidence for voluntary cough control in humans.
- To propose a model integrating voluntary and reflex cough mechanisms.
Main Methods:
- Review of experimental studies on cough control.
- Analysis of data from acute cough and capsaicin-induced cough models.
- Examination of cough suppression during sleep and anesthesia.
Main Results:
- Human cough can be voluntarily inhibited or abolished.
- Consciousness plays a role in cough control, as evidenced by inhibition during sleep and anesthesia.
- A cough model incorporating both voluntary and reflex pathways is proposed.
Conclusions:
- Cough involves both involuntary reflex pathways and voluntary control.
- The common cold cough may be a combination of reflex and voluntary components.
- Understanding dual control mechanisms is crucial for cough management.