Effect of sensorineural hearing loss on the stapedius reflex growth function in the elderly

The effect of sensorineural hearing loss upon stapedius reflex growth functions was studied in the elderly. The reflex activators were pure tones (500, 1000, and 2000 Hz) and broadband noise; reflex magnitude was expressed in decibels relative to static acoustic impedance. When expressed in decibels relative to reflex threshold, the mean growth functions of the elderly were reduced compared to previous data for young subjects [Silman, Popelka, and Gelfand, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 64, 1406--1411 (1978)] and the noise functions differed in terms of both shape and magnitude. When expressed in SPL, the mean growth functions of the normal hearing elderly demonstrated saturation at high activator levels, whereas saturation was not observed in the mean growth functions of the hearing loss subjects. In the normal elderly, saturation was found to be frequency dependent. The saturation effect is discussed in terms of energy integration of the reflex response in the aging ear.