Time factors in the acoustic reflex of intra-aural muscles and brain stem acoustic evoked potentials in workers with occupational hearing loss and normal and delayed speech discrimination

Time characteristics of brain stem acoustic evoked potentials and acoustic reflex of the intra-aural muscles were measured in workers with occupational hypoacusis having normal and delayed capacity for speech discrimination. The findings provided evidence for inhibition of speech information analysis at the level of the brain stem and dissociation of interaction between the brain stem nuclei.