Acoustic Reflex Facilitation with Various Frequencies and Amplitudes of Pure Tone.
- Author:
Sung Hwa HONG
1
;
Yang Sun CHO
;
Joong Keun KWON
;
Yoo Seok JUNG
;
Jae Yeon CHOI
;
Kwang Chol CHU
Author Information
1. Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Acoustic reflex;
Facilitation
- MeSH:
Acoustics*;
Child;
Humans;
Reflex, Acoustic*
- From:Korean Journal of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
1998;41(1):7-12
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: There are several methods for lowering the acoustic reflex hreshold, a process known as "facilitaion". The most popular facilitation method is the simultaneous stimulation of a high-frequency tone (facilitator) with a reflex-elicing tone (activator). This study was performed in order to analyze and generalize the facilitation phenomenon, and infer clinical applications from this phenomenon. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Authors measured the acoustic reflex thresholds when the facilitators of various amplitudes and frequencies was simultaneously stimulated in normal population. Also, the effects of facilitation was observed on the growth function curve (a curve showing the acoustic reflex pattern in subthreshold and suprathreshold stimulation). RESULTS: Facilitation was observed more effectively by using facilitators of high frequencies and high amplitudes. In the analysis of growth function curve, we found similar result as above. But there was no correlation between the frequency of activator and the mode of facilitation. CONCLUSION: We analyzed the factors affecting the phneomenon of facilitation and discussed a several proposals explaining the different tendencies of facilitation. Further studies should be made on the clinical implication of this phenomenon to sensorineurally hearing-impaired patients or children.
