The Effects of Age and Hearing Impairment on the Acoustic Reflex-Decay." (1973)
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Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1973 The ffecE ts of Age and Hearing Impairment on the Acoustic Reflex-Decay. Joe Amos Melcher Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Melcher, Joe Amos, "The Effects of Age and Hearing Impairment on the Acoustic Reflex-Decay." (1973). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 2415. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/2415 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This material was produced from a microfilm copy of the original document. 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Xerox University Microfilms 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 73-27,857 MELCHER, Joe Amos, 1943- THE EFFECTS OF AGE AND HEARING IMPAIRMENT ON THE ACOUSTIC REFLEX DECAY. The Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Ph.D., 1973 Health Sciences, hearing University Microfilms, A XERQ\Company, Ann Arbor, Michigan \ THIS DISSERTATION HAS BEEN MICROFILMED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED. THE EFFECTS OF AGE AND HEARING IMPAIRMENT ON THE ACOUSTIC REFLEX DECAY A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Speech by Joe Amos Melcher M.A., Texas Technological College, 1966 May 1973 ACKNOWLEDGMENT The writer wishes to express his deep gratitude to Dr. John L. Peterson, director of the study, for his expert advice, interest, and untiring efforts which aided in the completion of this study. Appreciation is also expressed to the following dissertation committee members for their valuable com ments and support: Dr. Stuart I. Gilmore, Dr. George Gunn, Dr. Vincent Byers, Dr. Ralph Dreger, and Dr. Michael Pollack. A special thanks goes to Dr. Prentiss Schilling who generously provided his expert knowledge and assistance in analyzing the data. The assistance of Dr. Charles I. Berlin and Mr. Jack Cullen in the operation and maintenance of the equipment is also acknowledged. To the individuals who served as subjects in the study the writer wishes to express his appreciation. The writer would also like to thank Dr. Jay K. Springman, Ms. violet Cowart, Ms. Fran williams, and Ms. Mildred Levith for their individual contributions which led to the completion of this work. The writer expresses most sincere appreciation to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Louie Melcher, for their loving support during the years of his formal education. The writer also wishes to express his thanks to his friends for their individual assistance and encouragement during the preparation of this dissertation. TABLE OP CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS................................. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS.................................. iv LIST OF TABLES ..................................vii LIST OF FIGURES.................................. ix ABSTRACT ........................................ xi Chapter I. INTRODUCTION ............................ 1 II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE.......... 5 Anatomy of the Middle Ear............... 5 Muscles of the Tympanic cavity .......... 8 Acoustic Reflex ........................ 10 Methods and Measurements of Acoustic Reflex ..................... 11 Impedance Measurements... ............. 13 Parameters of Acoustic Reflex ........ 21 Thre shold.......................... 22 Latency . ............ 24 Reflex Decay....................... 26 Chapter Page Clinical Application of Acoustic R e f l e x ....................... 31 Conductive Losses............ 34 Sensory Neural Hearing Loss (Cochlear) ................... 36 pseudohypoacusis ................. 40 Facial Paralysis ................. 40 Sensory Neural Hearing Loss (Retro-Cochlear).......... 42 Test for Recessive Genes for Deafness ............... 44 Experimental Questions........ : . 47 III. SUBJECTS, PROCEDURES, AND EQUIPMENT . 49 S u b j e c t s .............................. 49 E q u i p m e n t ........................... 51 P r o c e d u r e ........................... 54 IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION............... 60 Hearing Threshold .................... 62 Acoustic Reflex Thresholds ........... 70 Reflex Decay Measurements. ...... 83 v Chapter Page V. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS................ 108 S u m m a r y ................................ 108 Conclusion.............................. Ill REFERENCES...................................... 114 APPENDIX ........................................ 121 LIST OF TABLES TABLE Page 1. Mean pure Tone Air Conduction Hearing Thresholds for Normal and Pathological Ears for the Three Age Groups and the Four Test Frequencies............... 62 2. Analysis of variance for Hearing Thresholds................................ 64 3. Mean Hearing Thresholds by Age, Combining Normal and pathological E a r s .......... 65 4. Mean Hearing Thresholds by Age for Normal and Pathological Ears combining Frequency............................... 66 5. Mean Hearing Thresholds for Frequency Combining Normal and pathological Ears. 67 6. Mean Hearing Thresholds by Frequency for Normal and Pathological Ears Combining Age . .................................... 68 7. Mean Hearing Thresholds for Frequency by Age, combining Normal and pathological E a r s ............................... 69 8. Adjusted Mean Reflex Thresholds Measured in Sound Pressure Level, Hearing Level, and in Sensation Level for Normal and Pathological Subjects ................... 71 9. Analysis of Variance for Acoustic Reflex Thresholds Measured in Sound Pressure Level (SPL), Hearing Level (HL), and Sensation Level (SL) ................... 72 10. Adjusted Mean Reflex Thresholds for Four Frequencies in SPL and HL, Combining Normal and pathological Subjects .... 75 vii TABLE Page 11. Mean Reflex Thresholds in SPL and HL for Normal and pathological Subjects by Ag e ....................................... 76 12. Mean Reflex Thresholds in SL for Hearing by A g e ................................. 80 13. Adjusted Mean Reflex Thresholds in SL for Frequency combining Normal and Pathological Subjects .... ............. 80 14. Mean Reflex Thresholds in SL for Normal and Pathological Subjects by Frequency. .... 81 15. Mean Reflex Thresholds in SL for Age by Frequency Combining Normal and Pathologi cal Subjects....................... 82 16. Adjusted Mean Percent Reflex Decay for Normal and Pathological Subjects combining Age, Frequency, and Presentations ........ 17. Analysis of variance for Percent of Acoustic Reflex Decay for Seven Selected Time Intervals.............................. 90 18. Mean Percent of Reflex Decay for Normal and Pathological Subjects by Age, combining Frequency and presentations ............... 93 19. Adjusted Mean Percent of Reflex Decay for Frequency Combining Normal and Pathological Subjects, Age, and Presentations....... 97 20. Mean Percent of Reflex Decay for Presentation One and Presentation Two, for Normal and Pathological Subjects, Combining Age and Frequency........................... 105 viii LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE Page 1. Diagram of presumed course of acoustic stapedius reflex arc: A, cochlea; B, cochlear nerve; c, primary auditory centers; D, superior olivary nucleus; E, facial motor nucleus; F, facial nerve; G, stapedius muscle and stapes; H, chorda tympani; I, stylomastoid foramen; J, to temporal lobe............. 12 2. The acoustic measuring