Stapedial reflex and anxiety in fluent and disfluent speakers

Stapedial reflex thresholds were obtained from fluent and disfluent subjects with and without anxiety. Anxiety conditions were measured by monitoring palmar skin resistance with a psychogalvanometer. Eight of nine disfluent speakers had decreased mean stapedial-reflex thresholds ( -2.5 to -10 dB) at 500 or 1000 Hz or both when anxiety was present. This phenomenon did not occur in the fluent group. Only two of the nine fluent subjects showed reflex change with anxiety and the mean reflex change was shown in an increase of +2.5 dB. The disfluent group's mean stapedial reflex was significantly different with and without anxiety status (a = 0.01). Mean reflex for the fluent group did not change with anxiety.