Stapedial reflex in Parkinson's disease

• Published in: O.R.L. Journal for oto-rhino-laryngology and its related specialties Vol. 54; no. 5; p. 255
• Main Authors: Murofushi, T, Yamane, M, Osanai, R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland 1992
• Subjects: Acoustic Impedance Tests; Adult; Aged; Audiometry, Pure-Tone; Auditory Pathways - drug effects; Auditory Threshold; Female; Hearing Disorders - diagnosis; Humans; Levodopa - therapeutic use; Male; Middle Aged; Parasympatholytics - therapeutic use; Parkinson Disease - diagnosis; Parkinson Disease - drug therapy; Parkinson Disease - physiopathology; Reflex, Acoustic - physiology; Reflex, Stretch - drug effects; Stapedius - physiopathology
• ISSN: 0301-1569
• DOI: 10.1159/000276309

In 27 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), stapedial reflexes were measured using impedance audiometry and compared with those of 11 age-matched control subjects. The reflex threshold of PD patients was lower than that of control subjects. A prolongation of contraction time (C50) and relaxation time (D50) was revealed. Between patients with and without L-dopa, there was no significant difference for any reflex parameter. But, the D50 of patients without anticholinergic drugs was longer than that of patients with anticholinergic drugs. The authors could not find any relationship between the severity of PD and the reflex parameters. The authors assume that the prolongation of reflex parameters might be attributed to the hyperactivity of the indirect pathways of the stapedial reflex.