An inexpensive alternative for recording middle ear muscle activity (MEMA) during sleep

In past studies of middle ear muscle activity (MEMA) in sleep, one of two methods of recording has been used: an acoustic impedance bridge (AIB) or a miniaturized pressure transducer (MPT). A low-cost and less fragile piezoresistive pressure transducer was tested to determine its practicality in recording MEMA during sleep in humans. A specialized ear mold accommodating both types of pressure transducer was custom-fitted for six subjects. The sleep of each subject was analyzed epoch by epoch for one night to determine comparability of the two transducers. In no case did either transducer indicate a MEMA without confirmation by the other. It is recommended that this type of transducer would be practical for researchers interested in recording MEMA in sleep.