Physiology of Cough in Asthma: Comparison of Sensory-Mechanical Responses to Mannitol and Methacholine Challenge Tests

Cough is a common, disruptive and at times disabling symptom which often prompts patients to seek medical attention. Determining the cause(s) of chronic cough can be challenging, and costly. Asthma and other airway disorders are among the most common causes of chronic cough; and cough can be the sole symptom of asthma. Little is known about why some patients with asthma primarily cough and do not develop the other symptoms of asthma such as shortness of breath or wheeze. Improved understanding of the reasons for these different manifestations may lead to new and more effective treatment strategies. We have notices differences in pressure measurements inside the chest in patients who mostly cough during induced bronchoconstriction, which might be part of the explanation for varying symptoms. This study will compare lung mechanical responses during methacholine and mannitol-induced induced airway narrowing between typical asthma, cough variant asthma (CVA) and an airway inflammatory disorder that is not asthma.The purpose of this research is to explore the pathophysiology and sensory-mechanics of cough in individuals with asthma, CVA and methacholine-induced cough but normal airway sensitivity using mannitol and high-dose methacholine bronchoprovocation testing.