Absence of acoustic reflex

What it means

Absence of the acoustic reflex, an involuntary contraction of the stapedius muscle that occurs in response to high-intensity sound stimuli.

Note that the acoustic reflex is also referred to as stapedius reflex, attenuation reflex, or auditory reflex.

Rare diseases that can present with this1

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Absence of acoustic middle ear muscle reflexes · Absent middle ear reflexes · Absent stapedius reflexes