Stapedius Reflex Measurements with Sound Field Stimulation in Children Using MED-EL Cochlear Implant

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to measure stapedius reflex thresholds with sound-field stimulation (sf-SRTs) in children using MED-EL cochlear implants (CI) compared to children with normal hearing. Method: Sound field stapedius reflex thresholds (sf-SRTs) were measured in nineteen paediatric unilateral CI users and twenty children aged 3 to 12 years with bilateral normal hearing. Measurements were conducted using narrow-band noises (NBN) at 500 Hz, 1 kHz, 2 kHz, 4 kHz, and broadband noise (BBN) with a 226 Hz probe tone frequency. Results & Discussion: In the CI group, 73.7% exhibited stapedius reflexes at all frequencies, with consistent median thresholds across sessions. CI group reported better thresholds at 4 kHz NBN and BBN. In the normal hearing group, 80% showed reflexes for all stimuli. Significant differences were observed at 2 kHz NBN between the CI and normal hearing groups. This study showed that sound-field stapedius reflex measurements are a reliable and objective way to evaluate children who use cochlear implants regarding their auditory function. Conclusion: High test-retest reliability was demonstrated, supporting the use of sound-field SRT measurements as a reliable method for evaluating auditory function in children, providing critical information for CI programming.