Clinical characteristics of patients with MND
| All MND patients (n=37) | MND patients with 0–2 coughing episodes in 3 days (n=15) (group 1) | MND patients with >2 coughing episodes in 3 days (n=22) (group 2) | p Value | |
| Sex | ||||
| Female (%) | 12 (32) | 2 (13) | 10 (45) | 0.031-150 |
| Male (%) | 25 (68) | 13 (87) | 12 (55) | |
| Age ((y) mean (SD)) | 66 (11) | 61 (12) | 70 (8) | 0.015§ |
| Duration of symptoms ((y) mean (SD)) | 4.0 (4.3) | 5.0 (4.6) | 3.6 (3.6) | 0.36§ |
| Timed test of swallowing vol/time ((ml/s) % pred mean (SD)) | 49 (45) | 71 (48) | 33 (33) | 0.009§ |
| Bulbar signs | ||||
| Normal (%) | 11 (28) | 6 (40) | 4 (18) | >0.051-150 |
| LMN (%) | 11 (28) | 4 (26) | 7 (32) | |
| UMN (%) | 10 (27) | 5 (34) | 6 (27) | |
| UMN+LMN (%) | 5 (17) | 0 (0) | 5 (23) | |
| Speech | ||||
| Normal (%) | 13 (35) | 9 (58) | 4 (18) | 0.021-150 |
| Abnormal (%) | 24 (65) | 6 (42) | 18 (82) | |
| FVC % (pred mean (SD)) | 60 (20) | 70 (22) | 56 (14) | 0.0391-151 |
| Oral secretions | ||||
| Normal or dry (%) | 25 (68) | 11 (73) | 14 (64) | >0.21-150 |
| Excess (%) | 12 (32) | 4 (27) | 8 (36) | |
| Smoking | ||||
| No (%) | 25 (68) | 11 (73) | 13 (59) | >0.21-150 |
| Yes (%) | 12 (32) | 4 (27) | 9 (41) | |
| Anxiety | ||||
| No (%) | 30 (81) | 12 (80) | 20 (91) | >0.21-150 |
| Yes1-152 (%) | 7 (19) | 3 (20) | 2 (9) | |
| Depression | ||||
| No (%) | 31 (84) | 14 (93) | 19 (86) | >0.21-150 |
| Yes1-152 (%) | 6 (16) | 1 (7) | 3 (14) | |