title: Acoustic reflex patterns in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
abstract: The aim of the study is to investigate acoustic reflex testing in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients. Amplitude, latency, and rise time of stapedial reflex were recorded for 500 and 1000 Hz contralateral stimulus. Statistical analysis was performed by the Wilcoxon test and the level of significance was set at 5 %. Fifty-one amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients and ten sex- and age-matched control subjects were studied. Patients were further divided in two groups: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-bulbar (38 cases, with bulbar signs at evaluation) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-spinal (13 cases, without bulbar signs at evaluation). Stapedial reflex was present in all patients. There was a statistically significant difference in the mean amplitude, latency, and rise time between the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients as compared with the controls. Amplitude was lower in both the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-bulbar and the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-spinal patients than in the controls (p < 0.05) and rise time was longer in both patient groups compared with the controls (p < 0.05). These results confirm the presence of abnormal acoustic reflex patterns in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis cases with bulbar signs and, moreover, suggesting a possible subclinical involvement of the stapedial motor neuron even in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-spinal patients. Amplitude and rise time seem to be good sensitive parameters for investigating subclinical bulbar involvement.
authors: ENT Department, University of Torino, Torino, Italy. andrea.canale@unito.it.
authors: Andrea
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8095-2594
authors: A
authors: Canale
authors: ENT Department, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: Albera
authors: ENT Department, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.
authors: Michelangelo
authors: M
authors: Lacilla
authors: Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Canosa
authors: ENT Department, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Albera
authors: ENT Department, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.
authors: Francesca
authors: F
authors: Sacco
authors: Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.
authors: Adriano
authors: A
authors: Chiò
authors: Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Calvo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012022:Reflex, Acoustic; D013198:Stapedius / Q000503:physiopathology
keywords: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Bulbar palsy; Stapedial reflex; Stapedius motor neuron