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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Semin Hear 2023; 44(01): 084-092
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1763296
Review Article

Wideband Acoustic Reflex Measurement

M. Patrick Feeney
1   VA Portland Health Care System, National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research, Portland, Oregon
2   Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
,
Kim S. Schairer
3   Hearing and Balance Research Program, James H. Quillen VA Medical Center, Mountain Home, Tennessee
4   Department of Audiology & Speech Language Pathology, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee
,
Daniel B. Putterman
1   VA Portland Health Care System, National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research, Portland, Oregon
2   Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
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Abstract

Acoustic reflex thresholds (ART) obtained using pure-tone probe stimuli as part of a traditional immittance test battery can be used to evaluate site of lesion and provide a cross-check with behavioral results. ARTs obtained as part of a wideband acoustic immittance (WAI) test battery using a click as the probe stimulus can be used in the same way with the added benefit that they may provide lower ARTs than those obtained using a pure-tone probe. Another benefit of the WAI ART test is that it can be completed without requiring a hermetic seal or pressurizing the ear canal. A new adaptive method of obtaining ARTs using WAI techniques may cut test time in half, thus making this an attractive option for future clinical use. More advanced uses of WAI ART tests include the measurement of AR growth functions. These may be used to investigate the possible effects of synaptopathy related to high levels of noise exposure and possible auditory deficits related to ototoxicity.

Keywords

wideband acoustic immittance - acoustic reflex thresholds - absorbance - noise-induced synaptopathy

Disclaimer

The content of this manuscript does not represent the views of the U.S. government or the Department of Veterans Affairs.




Publication History

Article published online:
14 March 2023

© 2023. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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