Evoked otoacoustic emissions in normal-hearing infants and children: emerging data and issues.
Evoked otoacoustic emissions (EOAEs) are a promising tool for evaluating cochlear status in children. Preliminary data from normal-hearing subjects ranging from birth to 29.9 years old are discussed. EOAEs are present and robust in infant ears. However, there is a statistically significant decrease in EOAE amplitude for a fixed stimulus level with increasing age even in a carefully screened sample. At the present time it is unclear if these age-associated changes are due to normal developmental changes in the external and/or middle ear acoustics, normal developmental changes in cochlear mechanics and/or everyday cochlear wear and tear. Issues related to further application of evoked emissions to pediatric populations are discussed.
Norton
S J
SJ
Department of Hearing and Speech, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City 66103.
Widen
J E
JE
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D001300:Audiometry, Evoked Response / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003051:Cochlea / Q000502:physiology*; D003055:Cochlear Microphonic Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D004423:Ear / Q000254:growth & development; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D013018:Sound Spectrography