Acoustic Reflex and Reflex Decay: Occurrence in Patients With Cochlear and Eighth Nerve Lesions

Olsen, Wayne O.; Noffsinger, Douglas; Kurdziel, Sabina

doi:10.1001/archotol.1975.00780390036009

Cited by 40 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Synchronization appears to significantly decrease after ~95 msec (corresponding to ~115 msec from stimulus onset) of sustained phase locking, and this decrease is evident both in the time and frequency domains. Although surprising, this finding may arise from a loss of auditory nerve fibers that leads to an inability to sustain neural firing, such as may be found in abnormal acoustic reflex decay or tone decay test findings associated with VIIIth nerve lesions (Lidén & Korsan-Bengtsen 1973; Olsen et al 1975). Another possible explanation for the older adults’ inability to sustain encoding a stimulus as efficiently as younger adults is prolonged neural refraction and loss of temporal synchronization among the neurons devoted to encoding that particular acoustic stimulus, as suggested by Walton et al (1998).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Aging on the Encoding of Dynamic and Static Components of Speech

et al. 2015

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Objectives The authors investigated aging effects on the envelope of the frequency following response to dynamic and static components of speech. Older adults frequently experience problems understanding speech, despite having clinically normal hearing. Improving audibility with hearing aids provides variable benefit, as amplification cannot restore the temporal precision degraded by aging. Previous studies have demonstrated age-related delays in subcortical timing specific to the dynamic, transition region of the stimulus. However, it is unknown whether this delay is mainly due to a failure to encode rapid changes in the formant transition because of central temporal processing deficits or as a result of cochlear damage that reduces audibility for the high-frequency components of the speech syllable. To investigate the nature of this delay, the authors compared subcortical responses in younger and older adults with normal hearing to the speech syllables /da/ and /a/, hypothesizing that the delays in peak timing observed in older adults are mainly caused by temporal processing deficits in the central auditory system. Design The frequency following response was recorded to the speech syllables /da/ and /a/ from 15 younger and 15 older adults with normal hearing, normal IQ, and no history of neurological disorders. Both speech syllables were presented binaurally with alternating polarities at 80 dB SPL at a rate of 4.3 Hz through electromagnetically shielded insert earphones. A vertical montage of four Ag–AgCl electrodes (Cz, active, forehead ground, and earlobe references) was used. Results The responses of older adults were significantly delayed with respect to younger adults for the transition and onset regions of the /da/ syllable and for the onset of the /a/ syllable. However, in contrast with the younger adults who had earlier latencies for /da/ than for /a/ (as was expected given the high-frequency energy in the /da/ stop consonant burst), latencies in older adults were not significantly different between the responses to /da/ and /a/. An unexpected finding was noted in the amplitude and phase dissimilarities between the two groups in the later part of the steady-state region, rather than in the transition region. This amplitude reduction may indicate prolonged neural recovery or response decay associated with a loss of auditory nerve fibers. Conclusions These results suggest that older adults’ peak timing delays may arise from decreased synchronization to the onset of the stimulus due to reduced audibility, though the possible role of impaired central auditory processing cannot be ruled out. Conversely, a deterioration in temporal processing mechanisms in the auditory nerve, brainstem, or midbrain may be a factor in the sudden loss of synchronization in the later part of the steady-state response in older adults.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Aging on the Encoding of Dynamic and Static Components of Speech

et al. 2015

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“…Acoustic reflex testing has been used to facilitate the diagnosis of disorders of the middle ear (Jerger, Harford, & Clemis, 1974), cochlea (Olsen, Noffsinger, & Kurdziel, 1975), vestibulocochlear nerve (Anderson, Barr, & Wedenberg, 1969a), and brainstem (Jerger & Jerger, 1975). Specifically, measurements of the stapedial reflex can help to discriminate between otosclerosis and ossicular discontinuity (Anderson & Barr, 1971; Anderson, Jepsen, & Ratjen, 1962; Ebert, Zanation, & Buchman, 2008; Maurizi, Ottaviani, Paludetti, & Lungarott, 1985) and distinguish between cochlear and retrocochlear pathologies (Anderson, Barr, & Wedenberg, 1969b; Callan, Lasky, & Fowler, 1999; Chiveralls, Fitzsimmons, Beck, & Kernohan, 1976; Hunter, Ries, Schlauch, Levine, & Ward, 1999).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Specifically, measurements of the stapedial reflex can help to discriminate between otosclerosis and ossicular discontinuity (Anderson & Barr, 1971; Anderson, Jepsen, & Ratjen, 1962; Ebert, Zanation, & Buchman, 2008; Maurizi, Ottaviani, Paludetti, & Lungarott, 1985) and distinguish between cochlear and retrocochlear pathologies (Anderson, Barr, & Wedenberg, 1969b; Callan, Lasky, & Fowler, 1999; Chiveralls, Fitzsimmons, Beck, & Kernohan, 1976; Hunter, Ries, Schlauch, Levine, & Ward, 1999). The stapedial reflex can identify patients at risk of eighth cranial nerve tumors (Anderson et al, 1969b; Jerger & Hayes, 1983; Olsen et al, 1975), determine whether a facial nerve lesion is infra- or suprastapedial (Djupesland, 1976; Fee, Dirks, & Morgan, 1975) or identify a pathology of the central auditory system, such as an acoustic neuroma (Jerger, 1980; Jerger & Hayes, 1983; Jerger & Jerger, 1975; Jerger, Jerger, & Hall, 1979; Topolska & Hassmann-Poznanska, 2006). Studies are exploring the applicability of MEM reflex testing in the monitoring of pathophysiological changes in the auditory pathways that are associated with blunt head trauma (Nolle, Todt, Seidl, & Ernst, 2004) and industrial noise exposure (Zivic & Zivic, 2003).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Auditory Brainstem Circuits That Mediate the Middle Ear Muscle Reflex

Mukerji

Windsor

Lee

2010

Trends in Amplification

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The middle ear muscle (MEM) reflex is one of two major descending systems to the auditory periphery. There are two middle ear muscles (MEMs): the stapedius and the tensor tympani. In man, the stapedius contracts in response to intense low frequency acoustic stimuli, exerting forces perpendicular to the stapes superstructure, increasing middle ear impedance and attenuating the intensity of sound energy reaching the inner ear (cochlea). The tensor tympani is believed to contract in response to self-generated noise (chewing, swallowing) and nonauditory stimuli. The MEM reflex pathways begin with sound presented to the ear. Transduction of sound occurs in the cochlea, resulting in an action potential that is transmitted along the auditory nerve to the cochlear nucleus in the brainstem (the first relay station for all ascending sound information originating in the ear). Unknown interneurons in the ventral cochlear nucleus project either directly or indirectly to MEM motoneurons located elsewhere in the brainstem. Motoneurons provide efferent innervation to the MEMs. Although the ascending and descending limbs of these reflex pathways have been well characterized, the identity of the reflex interneurons is not known, as are the source of modulatory inputs to these pathways. The aim of this article is to (a) provide an overview of MEM reflex anatomy and physiology, (b) present new data on MEM reflex anatomy and physiology from our laboratory and others, and (c) describe the clinical implications of our research.

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“…It is well known that crossed acoustic reflex thresholds may be elevated or absent when sound is presented to an ear with eighth nerve disorder. 3,[21][22][23][24][25][26] If both crossed and uncrossed reflexes are recorded, the pattern will be the "afferent" effect. It is equally well known that reflex thresholds will be preserved at reduced SLs when sound is presented to an ear with cochlear hearing loss.…”

Section: Cochlear Versus Eighth Nervementioning

confidence: 99%