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Related Experiment Videos

Cough: what's in a name?

J Widdicombe1, G Fontana

  • 1University of London, London SW20 8NY, UK. JohnWiddicombeJ@aol.com

The European Respiratory Journal
|July 4, 2006
PubMed
Summary

The cough reflex and expiration reflex are distinct defensive respiratory actions. Understanding their differences is crucial for accurately assessing and managing airway diseases and cough symptoms.

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Area of Science:

  • Respiratory Physiology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • The cough reflex (CR) and expiration reflex (ER) are key defensive mechanisms of the respiratory tract, primarily triggered by airway irritation.
  • While both reflexes protect the airways, they have distinct functions: CR prepares for expulsion, and ER prevents aspiration.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To differentiate the cough reflex (CR) and expiration reflex (ER), highlighting their unique physiological and pharmacological properties.
  • To address the common practice of conflating CR and ER in research and clinical assessments of cough.
  • To review current methodologies for measuring and evaluating cough, emphasizing their importance in airway disease management.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of the sensory pathways, central neural circuits, and physiological/pharmacological modulations of CR and ER.
  • Review of existing literature and methodologies for cough assessment.
  • Discussion of the clinical relevance of distinguishing between CR and ER in cough events.

Main Results:

  • CR and ER possess distinct neural pathways, central processing, and responses to pharmacological agents.
  • Cough events are often a complex interplay of both CR and ER, termed a cough bout.
  • Current cough assessment methods frequently overlook the distinct characteristics of CR and ER, focusing mainly on expiratory effort frequency.

Conclusions:

  • Differentiating between the cough reflex and expiration reflex is essential for a comprehensive understanding of airway defense mechanisms.
  • Accurate assessment of cough requires methods that can distinguish between CR and ER and evaluate various aspects beyond mere frequency.
  • Improved understanding and measurement of these reflexes can lead to better diagnosis and treatment strategies for airway diseases.

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