Objective: The purpose of this study was to develop a method for acoustically measuring the ipsilateral acoustic stapedius reflex threshold by using wideband shifts in energy reflectance and admittance.
Design: A group of 27 young adult subjects with normal hearing participated in the study. Contralateral reflex thresholds were first measured for a 4000 Hz activator tone (maximum level, 92 dB SPL), using a clinical method with a 226 Hz probe tone. Ipsilateral and contralateral reflex thresholds were then measured by using an experimental wideband reflectance and admittance system that used a band-filtered click (200 to 2000 Hz) as the probe stimulus, presented simultaneously with the 4000 Hz activator tone. Reflex thresholds for the wideband system were determined by using statistical tests of the magnitude of the reflex responses as well as their correlation with other reflex responses.
Results: Clinical and experimental reflex thresholds were obtained for 9 of the 27 subjects for all conditions. Clinical reflex thresholds were absent for 8 subjects for whom experimental reflex thresholds were present and were present for 5 subjects who had absent experimental reflex thresholds for one or more conditions. An additional 5 subjects had absent reflex thresholds in all conditions, consistent with the low maximum level of the activator. Wideband measures of contralateral reflex thresholds were approximately 3 dB lower than those obtained with the clinical system. The magnitudes of the group means of the reflex responses were similar for ipsilateral and contralateral stimulations.
Conclusions: Wideband measures of reflectance and admittance may be used to estimate the ipsilateral acoustic stapedius reflex threshold by separating in frequency the spectral energies of the wideband probe stimulus from the activator stimulus. This technique holds promise for measuring reflex thresholds for individuals with absent reflex thresholds through the use of standard clinical methods.