Neurophysiology of Cough Reflex Hypersensitivity

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER · Sep 14, 2009

Keywords

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Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• Healthy volunteers inclusion:
• • Over 18 years
• • Measurable cough reflex sensitivity - required as is the primary end-point
• • No current or past history of chronic cough or chronic respiratory disease
• Chronic Cough Patients inclusion:
• • Over 18 years
• • Chronic persistent cough (\> 8 weeks) despite investigation and/or treatment trials for cough variant asthma/post-nasal drip and gastro-oesophageal reflux
• • Normal chest radiograph - primary respiratory cause for cough excluded
• • Normal lung function - primary respiratory cause for cough excluded Measurable cough reflex sensitivity - required as primary end-point
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Recent upper respiratory tract infection (\<4 weeks) - this can lead to increased sensitivity of the cough reflex which resolves as the infection settles
• • Pregnancy/breast-feeding - unknown effects of oesophageal acid infusion
• • Current smokers or ex-smokers with \< 6 month abstinence or history \> 20 pack years - smoking can alter the sensitivity of the cough reflex
• • Opiate or ACE inhibitor use or centrally acting medication - can alter the cough reflex sensitivity
• • Symptomatic gastro-oesophageal reflux, post-nasal drip or asthma (chronic cough cohort may have been treated for these in the past but cough did not resolve) - these conditions are known to cause cough and alter cough reflex sensitivity
• • Significant ongoing chronic respiratory/cardiovascular/gastro-intestinal/haematological/ neurological/psychiatric illness. We are aiming to recruit healthy volunteers and chronic cough patients who are otherwise healthy