Sensations and regional brain responses evoked by tussive stimulation of the airways

Abstract

Stimuli that evoke cough in humans also elicit a sensation described as the urge-to-cough. This sensation is perceived at levels of stimulation below the threshold for coughing and increases in intensity in response to higher levels of stimulation. Cough in humans can be consciously modified in intensity or suppressed altogether, and the urge-to-cough is likely to contribute to discretionary responses to tussive stimulation. Converging evidence from animal and human experiments have identified a widely distributed network of brain regions that are implicated in the representation of urge-to-cough and the control of coughing. This network incorporates regions that show responses associated wi..