title: Cough following low thoracic hemisection in the cat.
abstract: A function of the abdominal expiratory muscles is the generation of cough, a critical respiratory defense mechanism that is often disrupted following spinal cord injury. We assessed the effects of a lateral T9/10 hemisection on cough production at 4, 13 and 21 weeks post-injury in cats receiving extensive locomotor training. The magnitudes of esophageal pressure as well as of bilateral rectus abdominis electromyogram activity during cough were not significantly different from pre-injury values at all time points evaluated. The results show that despite considerable interruption of the descending pre-motor drive from the brainstem to the expiratory motoneuron pools, the cough motor system shows a significant function by 4 weeks following incomplete thoracic injury.
authors.affiliation: Brain Rehabilitation and Research Center, Malcom Randall VA Medical Center, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA.
authors.forename: Stephanie C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Jefferson
authors.forename: Nicole J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Tester
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.forename: Adele E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Blum
authors.forename: Brian G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Howland
authors.forename: Donald C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Bolser
authors.forename: Dena R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Howland
mesh_terms: D000009:Abdominal Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D003371:Cough / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D004576:Electromyography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae; D013997:Time Factors