Image : https://exclusive.multibriefs.com/images/exclusive/0106breathe.jpg

Paul Leong, Laurence E. Ruane, Debra Phyland, Joo Koh, Martin I. MacDonald, Malcom Baxter, Kenneth K. Lau, Kais Hamza, Philip G. Bardin

European Respiratory Journal 2020 55: 1901466; DOI: 10.1183/13993003.01466-2019

Extract

During normal inspiration, vocal cord movements are limited, although mild abduction (widening) can occur. Inspiratory closure is characteristic of vocal cord dysfunction (VCD), a condition that can cause refractory breathlessness. VCD may occur in otherwise healthy individuals and 20–40% of stable asthma patients, however, abnormal inspiratory vocal cord activities and putative VCD have not been investigated in other obstructive lung diseases. It is therefore of interest to determine whether inspiratory closure occurs in COPD.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Paul Finlay and Kathy Low for their contribution to this study.

Footnotes

• Conflict of interest: L.E. Ruane has nothing to disclose.

• Conflict of interest: D. Phyland has nothing to disclose.

• Conflict of interest: J. Koh has nothing to disclose.

• Conflict of interest: M.I. MacDonald has nothing to disclose.

• Conflict of interest: M. Baxter has nothing to disclose.

• Conflict of interest: K.K. Lau has nothing to disclose.

• Conflict of interest: K. Hamza has nothing to disclose.

• Conflict of interest: P.G. Bardin has nothing to disclose.

• Conflict of interest: P. Leong has nothing to disclose.

• Support statement: P. Leong is supported by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (Postgraduate Scholarship) and the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (Dixon Award) outside of the present work. Studies were funded by an unrestricted support grant from Monash Lung and Sleep Institute. Views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the funding bodies. Funding information for this article has been deposited with the Crossref Funder Registry.

• Received July 23, 2019.
• Accepted January 22, 2020.

• Copyright ©ERS 2020