A device for diagnosing a patient for a physiological abnormality comprises a handheld housing carrying at least one interface configured to receive electromyogram (EMG) data from a sensor located at the paraspinal muscles in the pelvis of the patient, such data being activated by an involuntary reflex cough event that activates the nucleus ambiguous and medial motor cell column of the patient. The interface is also configured to receive intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) data obtained during the involuntary cough reflex test. The housing also carries a processor configured to receive the EMG and IAP and correlate the IAP with the EMG and with the duration of the involuntary reflex cough event to diagnose a physiological deficiency.
