PhD defence J.T. (Johnmary) Arinze

Below is a brief summary about the dissertation:

Cough, while essential for airway clearance, becomes a significant concern when it extends beyond its physiological role, persisting for over eight weeks in adults and leading to substantial physical, psychological, and socioeconomic consequences.

Recent research challenges the perception of chronic cough as a mere symptom of common diseases like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Instead, it identifies chronic cough as a distinct medical condition characterized by a hypersensitive cough reflex triggered by low-level stimuli, even activities as innocuous as talking.

This study sheds light on the prevalence of chronic cough among adults, affecting nearly 1 in 9 individuals. Significantly, a considerable number of those affected experience chronic cough without identifiable risk factors, constituting unexplained chronic cough in one in five cases. The disease burden among chronic cough patients proves considerable, marked by a high prevalence of depressive symptoms, recurrent depression, and chronic pain.

While no direct link between chronic cough and serum inflammatory markers was observed, individuals with chronic cough exhibited a smaller volume in the brain region responsible for cough suppression. This suggests an impaired ability to control the urge to cough. With no licensed targeted drug therapy available for chronic cough, treatment in most general practices in the Netherlands predominantly focused on managing associated medical conditions.