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Updated: May 18, 2026

Precision Induction and Distinction of Coughing and Sneezing Reflexes in Mice
Published on: October 3, 2025
Anatomy and neuro-pathophysiology of the cough reflex arc
Mario Polverino1, Francesca Polverino, Marco Fasolino
1Lung Diseases Institute, Medical Sciences Department, ASL Salerno, Viale S, Francesco, Nocera Inferiore (Salerno), Italy. mpolverino@qubisoft.it.
Abstract:
Coughing is an important defensive reflex that occurs through the stimulation of a complex reflex arc. It accounts for a significant number of consultations both at the level of general practitioner and of respiratory specialists. In this review we first analyze the cough reflex under normal conditions; then we analyze the anatomy and the neuro-pathophysiology of the cough reflex arc. The aim of this review is to provide the anatomic and pathophysiologic elements of evaluation of the complex and multiple etiologies of cough.
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