Seminars in Hearing Research

Date: Thursday, September 26, 2024

Location: Nelson Hall, Room 1215

Time: 12:00-1:00pm

Speaker: Shawn Goodman, PhD., Director of Graduate Studies, Dept. of Communication Sciences and Disorders. University of Iowa.

Title: Fast, Comprehensive Characterization of Middle Ear Muscle Reflex Dynamics.

Abstract: Middle-ear muscle reflex (MEMR) thresholds are routinely measured in the audiology clinic. Recent research has shown that MEMR thresholds are elevated in people with evidence of afferent synapse loss, despite normal audiometric hearing (i.e., “hidden hearing loss”). To measure MEMR, acoustic elicitors are classically presented in discrete steps in sound level and frequency while a 226 Hz probe tone is used to monitor reflex activation. Clinical and research data efforts could benefit from faster data collection. We recently developed a MEMR measurement paradigm that makes rapid measurements with an elicitor noise that continuously sweeps in level and a probe click that simultaneously measures over a broad range of test frequencies. Our measurements characterize the MEMR in terms of onset and offset thresholds, growth rates, hysteresis, and peak levels. Measurements from 30 participants will be presented, including retest reliability. Measurements from the new paradigm will be compared with those obtained using discretely varying stimuli.

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The working schedule is available here: https://purdue.edu/TPAN/hearing/shrp_schedule

The titles and abstracts of the talks will be added here: https://purdue.edu/TPAN/hearing/shrp_abstracts