Some ideas on the origin of otoacoustic emissions.
The presence of a basal activity in the cochlea is postulated. This activity is generated by the OHCs which are made to vibrate at their intrinsic resonant frequency by Brown's motion. In keeping with the chaos theory clusters vibrating in phase at one and the same frequency aggregate in the process. These clusters alternate with one another. Minor pathology enhances OHC synchronization so that the clusters become larger. As a result, more energy is projected back into the outer ear canal. This energy is high enough for being picked up as SOAE by current measuring tools.
Fritze
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W
ENT Department, University of Vienna Medical School, Austria.
Steurer
M
M
Fritze
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P
D000328:Adult; D003051:Cochlea / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015834:Cochlear Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D013016:Sound; D014732:Vibration