Medicine: Pulmonary: Research: Cough Research (Dicpinigaitis)

Peter Dicpinigaitis, M.D.

Peter Dicpinigaitis, M.D., is active in the field of cough research. Dr. Dicpinigaitis and colleagues have developed methods of cough reflex sensitivity measurement with the tussive agent capsaicin that have been adopted in international guidelines as the proposed standard method of cough challenge testing.

Using this methodology, Dicpinigaitis has performed numerous studies to evaluate potential antitussive drugs; to evaluate the effect of non-pharmacological interventions such as cigarette smoking on cough reflex sensitivity; as well as to evaluate ethnic and gender differences in the cough reflex.

Currently Funded Studies

1. Evaluation of tiotropium bromide (Spiriva; Boehringer-Ingelheim) as a potential antitussive in acute viral cough
2. Evaluation of combination antitussive products against acute viral cough (Adams Respiratory Therapeutics)

Selected Publications

1. Dicpinigaitis PV. Cough in asthma and eosinophilic bronchitis. Thorax 2004;59:71-2.
2. Dicpinigaitis PV. Potential new cough therapies. Pulm Pharmacol Ther 2004;17:459-462.
3. Morice AH, Fontana GA, Sovijarvi AR, Pistolesi M, Chung KF, Widdicombe J, Oâ Connell F, Geppetti P, Gronke L, De Jongste J, Belvisi M, Dicpinigaitis P, et al. European Respiratory Society Task Force. The diagnosis and management of chronic cough. Eur Respir J 2004;24:481-492.
4. Dicpinigaitis PV, Alva RV. Safety of capsaicin cough challenge testing. Chest 2005;128:196-202.
5. Dicpinigaitis PV. Current and future peripherally-acting antitussives. Respir Physiol Neurobiol 2006;152:356-362.
6. Dicpinigaitis PV, Sitkauskiene B, Stravinskaite K, et al. Effect of smoking cessation on cough reflex sensitivity. Eur Respir J 2006;28:786-790.
7. Dicpinigaitis PV, Tso R, Banauch G. Prevalence of depressive symptoms among patients with chronic cough. Chest 2006;130:1839-1843.
8. Dicpinigaitis PV. Chronic cough due to asthma: ACCP evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. Chest 2006;129(suppl.):75S-79S.
9. Dicpinigaitis PV. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor-induced cough: ACCP evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. Chest 2006;129(suppl.):169S-173S.
10. Dicpinigaitis PV. Potential future therapies for the management of cough: ACCP evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. Chest 2006;129(suppl.):284S-286S.
11. Sitkauskiene B, Stravinskaite K, Sakalauskas R, Dicpinigaitis PV. Changes in cough reflex sensitivity after cessation and resumption of cigarette smoking. Pulm Pharmacol Ther 2007;20:240-243.
12. Dicpinigaitis PV. Experimentally-induced cough. Pulm Pharmacol Ther 2007, in press.
13. European Respiratory Society Task Force on the Assessment of Cough. ERS guidelines on the assessment of cough. Eur Respir J 2007, in press.