Biomaterial Database

Measurement of the acoustic reflex without a pressure seal. 1976

R K Surr, and G I Schuchman

Obtaining a hermetic seal in the external auditory canal is often a major obstacle in impedance audiometry. In the present study, the acoustic reflex threshold was determined for three groups of subjects, first with and then without a pressure-tight seal. It was found that for subjects with normal hearing or sensorineural hearing loss and normal tympanograms, 96% of the measurements obtained without a pressure seal were within 5 dB of those obtained with a seal. Among the subjects who exhibited negative middle ear pressure, the acoustic reflex could be measured consistently at the point of maximum compliance, while no response was observed without a pressure seal.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D010033	Otitis Media	Inflammation of the MIDDLE EAR including the AUDITORY OSSICLES and the EUSTACHIAN TUBE.	Middle Ear Inflammation,Inflammation, Middle Ear
D011312	Pressure	A type of stress exerted uniformly in all directions. Its measure is the force exerted per unit area. (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th ed)	Pressures
D012018	Reflex	An involuntary movement or exercise of function in a part, excited in response to a stimulus applied to the periphery and transmitted to the brain or spinal cord.
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D002675	Child, Preschool	A child between the ages of 2 and 5.	Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D003638	Deafness	A general term for the complete loss of the ability to hear from both ears.	Deafness Permanent,Hearing Loss Permanent,Prelingual Deafness,Deaf Mutism,Deaf-Mutism,Deafness, Acquired,Hearing Loss, Complete,Hearing Loss, Extreme,Acquired Deafness,Complete Hearing Loss,Deafness, Prelingual,Extreme Hearing Loss,Permanent, Deafness,Permanent, Hearing Loss,Permanents, Deafness
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults
D001299	Audiometry	The testing of the acuity of the sense of hearing to determine the thresholds of the lowest intensity levels at which an individual can hear a set of tones. The frequencies between 125 and 8000 Hz are used to test air conduction thresholds and the frequencies between 250 and 4000 Hz are used to test bone conduction thresholds.	Audiometries