Table 1

The parameters of short reflex expirations induced by mechanical stimulation of the trachea (ERt) and expiration reflexes from the glottis (ERg).


ERt
ERg
p (test)

Number of cats
50
31

Excitability (responses/trials)
67.6%
99.5%
< 0.001 (F)

Cats with several ERt/ERg ≥ 0.2 kPa
28 (out of 50)
27 (out of 31)
< 0.01 (F)
Duration of ABD
63 ± 3 ms
70 ± 3 ms
NS (t)
T (onset of ABD – ABD peak)
36 ± 3 ms
39 ± 2 ms
NS (t)
Relative amplitude of ABD
36 ± 4%
60 ± 9%
< 0.02 (W)
Expiatory pressure amplitude
0.49 ± 0.04 kPa
1.02 ± 0.16 kPa
< 0.01 (W)

Number of cats – PCA
23
22
NS (F)
T (onset of PCA – ABD peak)
52 ± 3 ms
61 ± 4 ms
NS (t)
T (peak of PCA – ABD peak)
14 ± 2 ms
25 ± 4 ms
< 0.02 (W)
T (ABD peak – offset of PCA)
24 ± 3 ms
18 ± 6 ms
NS (W)
Relative amplitude of PCA
67 ± 12%
137 ± 23%
< 0.001 (M)

Number of cats – ThAr
20
22
NS (F)
T (onset of ThAr – ABD peak)
77 ± 4 ms
74 ± 6 ms
NS (W)
T (peak of ThAr – ABD peak)
44 ± 3 ms
43 ± 3 ms
NS (t)
T (ABD peak – minimum of ThAr)
7 ± 4 ms
21 ± 8 ms
NS (W)
T (ABD peak – 2nd peak of ThAr)
140 ± 20 ms
130 ± 10 ms
NS (W)
T (ABD peak – offset of ThAr)
440 ± 40 ms
730 ± 60 ms
< 0.001 (W)
Relative amplitude of 1st ThAr peak
83 ± 10%
385 ± 77%
< 0.001 (W)
Relative amplitude of 2nd ThAr peak
85 ± 20%
311 ± 70%
< 0.01 (W)

ABD, PCA, and ThAr, EMG activities of abdominal, posterior cricoarytenoid, and thyroarytenoid muscles during ERt or ERg; T (onset of ABD – ABD peak), the time interval from the beginning of the burst of ABD to the moment when the maximum of the moving average was reached (amplitude of ABD moving average); other time intervals (T) were measured as described in the table; p (test), the level of statistical significance and in brackets the appropriate test used; NS, non-significant (p > 0.05); F, Fisher's test; t, unpaired t-test; W, Welch corrected unpaired t-test; M, Mann-Whitney test.

Poliacek et al. Cough 2008 4:1   doi:10.1186/1745-9974-4-1