We have measured the effects of airway anesthesia (aerosolized 5% lidocaine) on the respiratory pattern during positive or negative inspiratory pressure in 8 resting subjects. The subjects breathed through a 600 ml dead space (peak inspiratory airway pressure, Paw = -2 cmH2O) without or with negative (approx. -5 or -10 cmH2O) or positive (approx. +5 or +10 cmH2O) inspiratory pressure, provided by a laminar flow resistance or a positive pressure source, respectively. Control measurements were performed before and after measurements with airway anesthesia. Measurements included tidal volume, respiratory frequency, ventilation, inspiratory and expiratory duration, occlusion pressure (P0.1) and end-tidal PCO2. None of the parameters measured was significantly altered by airway anesthesia, which was effective in suppressing the cough reflex. We conclude that information from lung afferents that are suppressed with the elimination of the cough reflex is not important for the breathing pattern during resting ventilation with elevated tidal volume (dead space load) and with positive or negative inspiratory pressure.