help button home button
AJRCCM
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by DICPINIGAITIS, P. V.
Right arrow Articles by LESSER, M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by DICPINIGAITIS, P. V.
Right arrow Articles by LESSER, M.

Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., Volume 159, Number 5, May 1999, 1660-1662

Cough Reflex Sensitivity in Subjects with Cervical Spinal Cord Injury

PETER V. DICPINIGAITIS, DAVID R. GRIMM, and MARVIN LESSER

Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Spinal Cord Pulmonary Research Center, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx; and Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York

An effective cough requires an intact cough reflex as well as adequate respiratory muscle function to generate elevated intrathoracic pressures. Since the major muscles of expiration are innervated by the first thoracic segment and below, transection of the cervical spinal cord results in severely compromised expiratory function and cough. To investigate the effects of cervical spinal cord injury (C-SCI) on cough reflex sensitivity, we measured responsiveness to inhaled capsaicin in 12 male subjects with chronic C-SCI and compared findings to those from a control group of 50 able-bodied men. The concentrations (µM) of capsaicin inducing two or more (C2) and five or more coughs (C5) did not significantly differ between the two groups. Mean (± SEM) values for log C2 in subjects with C-SCI and control subjects were 0.65 ± 0.15 and 0.87 ± 0.07, respectively (p = 0.15). Mean values for log C5 in subjects with C-SCI and control subjects were 1.43 ± 0.23 and 1.41 ± 0.08, respectively (p = 0.94). We conclude that cough reflex sensitivity is preserved after C-SCI, and that ineffective cough in this population results primarily from the loss of innervation of respiratory muscles.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Canadian J. AnesthesiaHome page
T. Oshima, Y. Kasuya, Y. Okumura, T. Murakami, and S. Dohi
Identification of independent risk factors for fentanyl-induced cough: [L'identification de facteurs de risque independants pour la toux induite par le fentanyl].
Can J Anesth, August 1, 2006; 53(8): 753 - 758.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 ChestHome page
P. V. Dicpinigaitis and R. V. Alva
Safety of Capsaicin Cough Challenge Testing
Chest, July 1, 2005; 128(1): 196 - 202.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Eur Respir JHome page
A. H. Morice
From the author
Eur. Respir. J., January 1, 2005; 25(1): 211 - 211.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 ChestHome page
P. V. Dicpinigaitis and Y. E. Gayle
Effect of Guaifenesin on Cough Reflex Sensitivity
Chest, December 1, 2003; 124(6): 2178 - 2181.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 ChestHome page
P. V. Dicpinigaitis
Cough Reflex Sensitivity in Cigarette Smokers
Chest, March 1, 2003; 123(3): 685 - 688.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Proc. Am. Thorac. Soc. Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol.
Copyright © 1999 American Thoracic Society