Respiratory Kinematics During Voluntary and Reflex Cough in Healthy Adults

Cough is a defensive behavior that involves three stages. A large inspiratory phase, a compression phase where the vocal folds close and subglottal pressure is developed, and an expiratory phase. Cough serves to protect the upper and lower airways from material such as liquids, solids, or saliva, that have been aspirated. There are two types of cough: voluntary and reflex cough. Voluntary cough involves a cough to command. Reflex cough is a cough that is generated secondary to a stimulus in or near the airway. There has been some research regarding the differences between voluntary and reflex cough. However, no research has described the differences in airflow or movement pattern (kinematics) between the two types of cough. This study seeks to determine the respiratory kinematics and airflow differences between voluntary and reflex cough in healthy participants.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Cough
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Healthy adults who receive capsaicin

Detailed Description

As a participant, completion of this study will require the following:

Investigators will first place cotton elastic bands around your chest and abdomen so that measures of chest wall and abdominal movements can be measured. Then, tests of your breathing made from pulmonary function testing will be completed.

Investigators will then have you complete a maximum inspiration followed by a maximum expiration three times.

Investigators will ask you to produce a voluntary cough three times into a facemask which is attached to a computer.

Then the investigators will provide you with nebulized water (FOG) through the facemask for up to a minute three times. You will have a minute break in between each presentation.

Finally, the investigators will provide you with a nebulized dose of Capsaicin, which is derived from hot peppers, through the same facemask used in all of the above tasks. You will receive three doses of capsaicin and be provided with water at any time during the study.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 25
• Phase: Phase 2; Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Florida
    • Gainesville, Florida, United States, 32611
      • University of Florida, Dauer Hall

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 80 years (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy adults between the ages of 18-80 years.
• Ability to provide informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• No history of smoking within the last 5 years as this reduces the sensitivity to capsaicin
• No history of neurological disease (i.e. Parkinson's disease, stroke, traumatic brain injury, etc.)
• No known allergy to capsaicin
• No history of respiratory disease (i.e. asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or respiratory infection within the last 5 weeks.)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: DIAGNOSTIC
• Allocation: NA
• Interventional Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Masking: NONE

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

EXPERIMENTAL: Healthy adults who receive capsaicin; Single treatment consisting of healthy adults.

Drug: Healthy adults who receive capsaicin; Participants will be seated in a comfortable chair and fitted with cotton elastic bands designed to measure changes in chest wall and abdominal movement during cough. The participant will hold a facemask attached to a pneumotachograph, nebulized, and dosimeter. The participant will receive 3 nebulized doses of 200 microMolar capsaicin through the facemask. The participants will have a minute in between each presentation and water will be available at all times.; Other Names: capsaicin

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Lung Volume Initiation	Respiratory kinematic measure: lung volume initiation (LVI) Lung volume initiation is a measure of the volume of air in the lungs prior to a respiratory task.	1 hour

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Peak Expiratory Airflow Rate	Airflow measures: Peak expiratory airflow rate Peak expiratory flow rate is a measure of the velocity of air expelled from the respiratory apparatus during cough. Measured in liters/second.	1 hour
Urge-to-cough	Urge-to-cough: A measure of respiratory sensation that rates the perceived magnitude of the need to cough on a Borg scale (0=no urge-to-cough; 10=maximal urge-to-cough).	1 hour

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Florida
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Alexandra E. Brandimore, M.A., University of Florida

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: May 1, 2013
• Primary Completion (ACTUAL): May 1, 2014
• Study Completion (ACTUAL): May 1, 2014

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 10, 2013
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 10, 2013
• First Posted (ESTIMATE): May 15, 2013

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ACTUAL): February 9, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 3, 2022
• Last Verified: February 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: cough
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Respiratory Tract Diseases; Respiration Disorders; Signs and Symptoms, Respiratory; Cough; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Peripheral Nervous System Agents; Sensory System Agents; Dermatologic Agents; Antipruritics; Capsaicin
• Other Study ID Numbers: 32-2013