Acoustic reflex contraction of the stapedius muscle stiffens the middle-ear, thus decreasing middle-ear admittance; this can be measured thanks to tympanometry. The acoustic stapedius reflex can also be recorded by means of extratympanic manometry (ETM). As the stapedius muscle is innervated by the facial nerve, a measurement of the reflex can be used to locate the injury on the nerve. If the injury is distal to the stapedius muscle, the reflex is still functional. A measurement of the reflex can also be used to suggest a retrocochlear lesion (e.g., vestibular schwannoma, acoustic neuroma). The acoustic reflex normally occurs only at relatively high
The Body Silent experience muscle spasms in his anus, and in his lower abdomen in 1972, and soon had trouble urinating. He was then diagnosed with an anal fissure, meaning of a slight break in the muscle. After a few years of symptoms, he visited a neurologist and was diagnosed with a benign but slowly growing tumor in the upper part of his spinal cord. Within two years his central nervous system was severely damaged, and lost control of most bodily functions. In 1987, the book was awarded the Columbia University's Lionel Trilling Award. The Body Silent The Body Silent is a personal