Exercise Respiratory Center (ExRC)
At Cook Children's Exercise Respiratory Center (ExRC), we diagnose, treat, and research the causes of exercise-induced respiratory symptoms in older children, adolescents, and young adults. Our goal is to remove any barriers created by respiratory causes, so our young athletes can perform at their fullest capacity.
The biggest challenge with correctly diagnosing the cause or causes of EIRS is that testing is usually normal when the patient is not exercising.
To solve this problem, the ExRC is built around maximal exercise testing. The basic idea is to exercise our patients with enough intensity to trigger their symptoms while we simultaneously examine the behavior of the upper airway, lungs, and cardiovascular system. This way, when the symptoms occur, we see precisely where the problem(s) are located, make the correct diagnoses, and start effective treatment with our multidisciplinary team.
The ExRC opened its doors officially at Cook Children's Medical Center - Prosper on October 1, 2023, through an Endowed Chair Award generously given by the Cook Children’s Health Foundation.
Conditions we treat
- Asthma, (including exercise-induced asthma)
- Dyspnea on exertion (DOE)
- Exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB)
- Exercise-induced cough
- Exercise-induced dysfunctional breathing (also called breathing pattern disorder)
- Exercise-induced hyperventilation
- Exercise-induced laryngeal obstruction (EILO, also called Vocal Cord Dysfunction, VCD, or paradoxical vocal fold motion, PVFM)
- Exercise-induced laryngomalacia
- Exercise-induced stridor
- Exercise-induced wheezing
- Shortness of breath on exertion (SOBOE)
Services and tests we offer
- Cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET)
- Complete lung function testing
- Airway resistance
- Diffusion capacity
- Plethysmography (lung volume measurement)
- Spirometry
- Continuous laryngoscopy during exercise (CLE)
Our founder, Dr. John Robertson, performed the first Continuous Laryngoscopy during Exercise (CLE) on a pediatric patient in Texas on February 8, 2022, at the Cook Children's Pulmonary Clinic in Prosper, TX.
- Forced Oscillometry
We collaborate closely with other medical specialties including cardiology, otolaryngology, gastroenterology, psychology neurology and sports medicine.
In the media
Exertion in adolescent athletes - Dyspnea (or feeling short of breath)
Exercise induced laryngeal obstruction (EILO) with Megan Karas,SLP and Jenny Arey,DPT
Breathing against yourself-Exercise limiting respiratory symptoms in competitive athletes
Breaking bad breathing with Amber Brim, DPT
Breathing easier with continuous laryngoscopy during exercise (CLE)
Meet our ExRC team
- John Robertson, M.D. - Pediatric pulmonologist
- Andreas Kreutzer, Ph.D. - Exercise physiologist and research scientist
- Ann Nguyen, SLP - Speech-language pathologist
- Amber Brim, DPT - Physical therapist
- Rebecca Brovina, RN - Research nurse coordinator
- Shalyni Ware, RT - Respiratory therapist
- Jennifer Moreles, RT - Respiratory therapist
We're here to help
If your child has respiratory symptoms during exercise, you probably have lots of questions. We can help. If you would like to schedule an appointment, refer a patient or speak to our staff, please call our offices at 682-303-4200 or send a referral fax to 682-303-0719.