Naomi F Bramhall, Nicole K Whittle, M Patrick Feeney, Garnett P McMillan
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Purpose: Assessment of the middle ear muscle reflex (MEMR) is a standard part of the clinical audiological test battery that is used to assess middle ear function and identify possible retrocochlear lesions. The use of a wideband MEMR probe allows for additional information across frequency and lower reflex thresholds compared to the standard tonal probe used clinically. Recent animal studies suggest that the wideband MEMR is sensitive to noise-induced cochlear synaptopathy, the selective loss of the synaptic connections between the inner hair cells and the afferent auditory nerve fibers. However, the clinical utility of the wideband MEMR as an indicator of cochlear deafferentation is still unclear. Prior to adoption of the wideband MEMR as part of a diagnostic battery for cochlear deafferentation, it is necessary to determine the test-retest reliability of the measurement.
Method: In a sample of 45 adults with normal hearing and normal tympanograms, wideband MEMR magnitude and threshold were measured at two different test sessions in response to a contralateral broadband noise stimulus at elicitor levels ranging from 60 to 100 dB SPL. The time between test sessions ranged from 2 hr to 5 months.
Results: Test-retest differences increased with elicitor level. In some individuals, there were changes in the magnitude and/or the frequency response of the MEMR between test sessions.
Conclusion: When wideband MEMR testing becomes clinically available, test-retest differences in contralateral wideband MEMR magnitude and threshold can be referenced by clinicians to help with interpretation of wideband MEMR test results.
期刊介绍:
Mission: AJA publishes peer-reviewed research and other scholarly articles pertaining to clinical audiology methods and issues, and serves as an outlet for discussion of related professional and educational issues and ideas. The journal is an international outlet for research on clinical research pertaining to screening, diagnosis, management and outcomes of hearing and balance disorders as well as the etiologies and characteristics of these disorders. The clinical orientation of the journal allows for the publication of reports on audiology as implemented nationally and internationally, including novel clinical procedures, approaches, and cases. AJA seeks to advance evidence-based practice by disseminating the results of new studies as well as providing a forum for critical reviews and meta-analyses of previously published work.
Scope: The broad field of clinical audiology, including audiologic/aural rehabilitation; balance and balance disorders; cultural and linguistic diversity; detection, diagnosis, prevention, habilitation, rehabilitation, and monitoring of hearing loss; hearing aids, cochlear implants, and hearing-assistive technology; hearing disorders; lifespan perspectives on auditory function; speech perception; and tinnitus.