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Concordant Validity of a Digital Peak Cough Flow Meter to Assess Voluntary Cough Strength in Individuals with ALS

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Abstract

Peak cough flow represents an important metric directly related to the physiologic ability of an individual to defend the airway or expel tracheal aspirate. Given the high prevalence of dysphagia and dystussia in individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and recent findings that the expiratory phase of voluntary cough is significantly impaired in ALS individuals, we aimed to determine the reproducibility of an affordable, portable peak cough flow (PCF) meter for the assessment of cough production in individuals with ALS. 109 individuals with ALS completed voluntary cough testing using both the research cough spirometry equipment and a digital peak cough flow meter. Maximum peak expiratory cough flow rates were obtained from each device. Analyses included paired t test, Pearson’s correlation, and Lin’s concordance correlation to determine the degree of agreement and reproducibility between cough measurement devices (alpha = 0.05). Mean differences between peak cough flow test values (L/min) across instruments were not statistically significant (mean difference =  − 2.93; 95% CI − 18.67, 12.82; p = 0.713). PCF values obtained from the digital peak cough flow meter and the research cough spirometry equipment were strongly associated (r = 0.826, p < 0.000) and demonstrated a high level of agreement and reproducibility (ρc = 0.824, 95% CI 0.754, 0.876). These data validate the use of an inexpensive and portable digital peak cough flow device to index peak cough flow strength in individuals with ALS. This assessment could easily be incorporated into a multidisciplinary ALS clinical setting to index the physiologic ability of an individual to protect the airway.

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Funding

This study was funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (1R01 NS100859), the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association Clinical Management Grant, the University of Florida Breathing Research and Therapeutics Training Program (T32HL134621), and the Center for Respiratory Research and Rehabilitation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Holy Cross Medical Group, Phil Smith Neuroscience Institute, 4725 N Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 33308, USA

    L. Tabor-Gray

  2. Swallowing Systems Core, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

    L. Tabor-Gray & E. K. Plowman

  3. Department of Anesthesiology and Orthopedics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

    T. Vasilopoulos

  4. Speech, Language and Hearing Science Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

    E. K. Plowman

  5. Department of Neurology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

    E. K. Plowman

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  1. L. Tabor-Gray
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Correspondence to L. Tabor-Gray.

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Tabor-Gray, L., Vasilopoulos, T. & Plowman, E.K. Concordant Validity of a Digital Peak Cough Flow Meter to Assess Voluntary Cough Strength in Individuals with ALS. Dysphagia 35, 568–573 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00455-019-10060-7

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