1) Micromechanics of lung growth;
2) Respiratory perception in adolescent asthma.

Institutions

Rih

Research Description

Anthony Mansell has studied lung growth and maturation, concentrating on lung macromechanics in humans and lung micromechanics in animal models. His early studies showed a predisposition for airway closure in infancy and early childhood, partly explaining a vulnerability to gas exchange problems during viral infections at this early stage of growth. This finding led to studies of lung elastic recoil, which showed a direct relationship between the predisposition for airway closure and a relative deficiency in recoil in young children. More studies of lung macromechanics in the distribution of ventilation in children and adolescents were applied to clinical manifestations of scoliosis, asthma, thalassemia, and cystic fibrosis.

His studies in animal models have focused on relationships between mechanical strain produced by growth of the chest wall and the development of lung parenchyma. Using cat and piglet models, his studies showed that unilateral diaphragmatic paralysis inhibited growth of lung parenchyma on the affected side. Later studies in postmortem piglet lungs investigated growth-related changes in lung elastic moduli and the development of interdependence between lung parenchyma and extrapulmonary arteries and airways.

Clinical research has included studies of respiratory distress syndrome, sickle cell disease, altitude sickness, thalassemia, asthma, cystic fibrosis, scoliosis, bronchiolitis and hypopituitarism.

A recent interest has been in the field of respiratory psychophysics, especially as applied to life-threatening asthma in adolescents.

Awards

Not available

Affiliations

American Physiological Society

Society for Pediatric Research

Fellow, American College of Chest Physicians

American Thoracic Society

Specialty of Pediatrics, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Canada

Specialty of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Canada

American Pediatric Society

Funded Research

"Symptom Perception in Critical Adolescent Asthma"; 4/15/2001 to 4/14/2005; PI; Total Costs: $2,287,167.

"Pulsus Paradoxus Monitor". 4/01/04 to 3/31/05; Co-Investigator; Total Costs: $75,426.

Selected Publications

• Alario A, C Mansell, and A Mansell. Management of acute asthma in the pediatric office. In press: Pediatric Annals.(IN PRESS)
• Steele D, S. Adams, D. Carter, S. Mathis, E. Millikan, M. Wamboldt, G. Fritz, and A. Mansell. Magnitude estimation of inspiratory resistive loads in healthy adolescents: normative data. Biolofical Psychology 62 (2003), 211-242.(2003)
• Fritz G, K Rosenblum, R Klein, E McQuaid, J Nassau, m Wamboldt, R Carter, and A Mansell. Improved methodology for threshold detection studies in asthmatic children. J Psychophysiology 15: 190-97, 2001.(2001)