[The human stapedius reflex by ipsilateral electrical stimulation of the auditory meatal skin (author's transl)]

Abstract

A modified method for eliciting a stapedius reflex by electrical stimulation of the meatal skin is presented. In contrast to the acoustically elicited stapedius reflex, the electrically-induced response is only ipsilateral, and can be ablated by anesthesia of the meatal skin. Contralateral acoustical and ipsilateral electrical stimulations lead to a summation effect of the amplitude off the stapedius reflex. When presented simultaneously, subthreshold electrical and acoustical stimulations may produce a reflectory contraction of the stapedius muscle. Similar responses can be found in diseases of the middle ear and the facial nerve. The method described is not difficult to perform, is painless to the patient, and can be used objectively in neurotologic testing.