From Psychogenic Cough to Somatic Cough Syndrome - Review of Definition Changes, Pathogenesis, and Diagnosis/Therapy

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Stanley

Chronic cough is a frequent reason for respiratory consultation, often persisting beyond 8 weeks without major chest radiographic abnormalities. Psychological comorbidities such as anxiety and depression can co-occur, while chronic coughing may itself manifest as physical symptoms. The review addresses how the terms “psychogenic cough” and “somatic cough syndrome” have evolved, why their definitions and diagnostic criteria remain unclear, and what current evidence suggests about pathogenesis. It also summarizes diagnostic considerations and therapeutic points for chronic cough with psychological disorders based on relevant studies.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Literature Search

From Psychogenic Cough to Somatic Cough Syndrome

The Clinical Respiratory Journal From Psychogenic Cough to Somatic Cough Syndrome Haiyang Wang1 | Tongyangzi Zhang1 | Li Yu1,2 | Xianghuai Xu1 1Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China | 2Department of Allergy, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China Correspondence: Li Yu ([96778@tongji.edu.cn](96778@tongji.edu.cn)) | Xianghuai Xu ([05849@tongji.edu.cn](05849@tongji.edu.cn)) Received: 2 November 2025 | Revised: 27 November 2025 | Accepted: 16 December 2025 Keywords: chronic cough | psychogenic cough | psychological disorders | somatic cough syndrome | somatic symptom disorders ABSTRACT Patients with various etiologies of chronic cough may have psychological disorders, and those with psychological disorders may also exhibit physical symptoms such as coughing. The terminology “psychogenic cough” and “somatic cough syndrome” have been used to describe chronic cough patients with underlying psychological issues, but both terms lack clear definitions and diagnostic criteria. This article provides a review of the definition changes, pathogenesis, and diagnostic and therapeutic points related to chronic cough with comorbid psychological disorders based on relevant studies of psychogenic cough and somatic cough syndrome. 1 | Introduction Chronic cough is one of the most common reasons for seeking medical care in respiratory medicine. It typically refers to a cough lasting more than 8 weeks, in which coughing is the primary or sole symptom, and no significant abnormalities are detected on chest radiographs [1] . The causes of chronic cough are complex and may include various respiratory and nonrespiratory conditions, such as upper airway cough syndrome, coughvariant asthma, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Persistent coughing not only affects quality of life but can also lead to sleep disturbances, limitations in social activities, and increased psychological stress [2] . In recent years, the role of psychological factors in the development and persistence of chronic cough has drawn increasing attention. Studies have shown that one-third of patients with chronic cough present with psychiatric comorbidities such as anxiety and depression [3] . Psychogenic cough (PC) has traditionally been utilized to describe patients who suffer from both psychological disorders and persistent coughing. Initially, it was assumed that underlying psychological issues were the primary cause of the persistent cough, with a PC diagnosis only made after thorough examinations ruled out physical illnesses. However, the newly proposed term “somatic cough syndrome (SCS)” suggests that chronic cough may not necessarily have a direct cause-and-effect relationship or temporal sequence [4] . The introduction of the SCS emphasizes the importance of how patients perceive and experience cough symptoms, rather than emphasizing their correlation with psychological issues. This paper reviews relevant research on PC and SCS, with a focus on the relationship between chronic cough and psychological disorders. 2 | Literature Search The search was conducted until May 1, 2025. Two independent authors searched the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases for studies that provided information about the relationship between chronic cough and psychological problems. To cover all relevant areas, a complex search strategy was developed using not only the term “chronic cough” but also terms thought to be associated with cough. These were | Haiyang Wang and Tongyangzi Zhang contributed equally to this work. | | --- | | This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
© 2026 The Author(s) . The Clinical Respiratory Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. | The Clinical Respi

FAQs

How is chronic cough defined in this article?

Chronic cough typically refers to a cough lasting more than 8 weeks, where coughing is the primary or sole symptom and no significant abnormalities are found on chest radiographs.

Why do the terms “psychogenic cough” and “somatic cough syndrome” need clearer definitions?

Both terms have been used to describe chronic cough with underlying psychological issues, but they lack clear definitions and diagnostic criteria.

What is the key idea behind the shift from psychogenic cough to somatic cough syndrome?

The somatic cough syndrome concept emphasizes how patients perceive and experience cough symptoms rather than assuming a direct cause-and-effect relationship or temporal sequence between psychological issues and coughing.

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Stanley