Electrically elicited stapedius muscle reflex in cochlear implant system fitting

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the possibility of using electrically elicited stapedius muscle reflex (ESR) for estimation of most comfortable loudness level (MCL), one of the most important electrical stimulation parameter in cochlear implant system fitting. The material of this study consisted of 48 adult patients, sampled from the group of MedEl Combi 40+ and MedEl Pulsar users, implanted in the Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing. Their cochlear implant system was fitted according to the results of psychophysical tests: loudness scaling and electrical amplitude growth function. ESR measurement was performed, and ESR thresholds and MCL values were compared. Good correlation after 12 months of using cochlear implant system was observed. Results indicate that ESR can be included in cochlear implant system fitting procedure as objective measurement for prediction of optimal MCL values.