title: Correlation between voluntary cough and laryngeal cough reflex flows in patients with traumatic brain injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To correlate voluntary cough and laryngeal cough reflex (LCR) flows in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University rehabilitation hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with TBI (n=25) and healthy controls (n=48).
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  METHODS
  Peak cough flows (PCFs) and LCR flows were measured using a peak flow meter at the oral-nasal interface. The largest value of 3 attempts was recorded for PCF and LCR, respectively. LCR was elicited by 20% solution of pharmaceutic-grade citric acid dissolved in sterile .15M NaCl solution that was inhaled from a nebulizer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PCF was 447.4 ± 99.0 L/min in the control group and 211.7 ± 58.2 L/min in the patient group. LCR was 209.2 ± 63.8L/min in the control group and 170.0 ± 59.7 L/min in the patient group. Both PCF (P=.000) and LCR (P=.013) were significantly reduced in patients with TBI compared to that of the control group. LCR was strongly related to the PCF in both control (R=.645; P=.000) and patient (R=.711; P=.000) groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As LCR can be measured as a numerical value and significantly correlates with PCF, LCR can be used to estimate cough ability of patients with TBI who cannot cooperate with PCF measurement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Kwandong University College of Medicine, Gyunggi, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Chul
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Seong-Woong
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Min Tae
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yong Kyun
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Won Hyuk
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Sang Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Im
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003371:Cough / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007830:Larynx / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010366:Peak Expiratory Flow Rate / Q000502:physiology; D012018:Reflex / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult