TY - JOUR T1 - A worldwide survey of chronic cough: a manifestation of enhanced somatosensory response JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J SP - 1149 LP - 1155 DO - 10.1183/09031936.00217813 VL - 44 IS - 5 AU - Alyn H. Morice AU - Adam D. Jakes AU - Shoaib Faruqi AU - Surinder S. Birring AU - Lorcan McGarvey AU - Brendan Canning AU - Jaclyn A. Smith AU - Sean M. Parker AU - Kian Fan Chung AU - Kefang Lai AU - Ian D. Pavord AU - Jan van den Berg AU - Woo-Jung Song AU - Eva Millqvist AU - Michael J. Farrell AU - Stuart B. Mazzone AU - Peter Dicpinigaitis AU - The Chronic Cough Registry Y1 - 2014/11/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/5/1149.abstract N2 - Reports from individual centres suggest a preponderance of females with chronic cough. Females also have heightened cough reflex sensitivity. Here we have reviewed the age and sex of unselected referrals to 11 cough clinics. To investigate the cause of any observed sex dimorphism, functional magnetic resonance imaging of putative cough centres was analysed in normal volunteers. The demographic profile of consecutive patients presenting with chronic cough was evaluated. Cough challenge with capsaicin was undertaken in normal volunteers to construct a concentration-response curve. Subsequent functional magnetic resonance imaging during repeated inhalation of sub-tussive concentrations of capsaicin observed areas of activation within the brain and differences in the sexes identified. Of the 10 032 patients presenting with chronic cough, two-thirds (6591) were female (mean age 55 years). The patient profile was largely uniform across centres. The most common age for presentation was 60–69 years. The maximum tolerable dose of inhaled capsaicin was lower in females; however, a significantly greater activation of the somatosensory cortex was observed. Patients presenting with chronic cough from diverse racial and geographic backgrounds have a strikingly homogeneous demographic profile, suggesting a distinct clinical entity. The preponderance of females may be explained by sex-related differences in the central processing of cough sensation. Chronic cough in specialist clinics have homogenous demographic profiles, suggesting single clinical entity http://ow.ly/zrNAa ER -