Suggestion Effects on Total Respiratory Resistance in Asthmatic and Healthy Children

Abstract

We examined short latency total respiratory responses during anticipation of difficult breathing in asthmatic and healthy children. Respiratory resistance was measured with the forced oscillation technique and determined independently at each of several oscillation frequencies. Regardless of the oscillation frequency at which determined, the responses of children from the two populations during anticipation were similar. Oscillation frequency, however, was important both in differentiating asthmatic from healthy children and in discriminating changes in respiratory resistance during anticipation: the higher the oscillation frequency, the less the difference between children in the two groups and the less the amplitude of the response during anticipation. Total respiratory resistance was not related to subjective estimates of airway obstruction.