title: Tympanometry in rhesus monkeys: effects of aging and caloric restriction.
abstract: Caloric restriction is the only known method of increasing lifespan in laboratory animals. The present study was conducted as part of a larger investigation into the effect of caloric restriction on longevity of rhesus monkeys as a model for human aging. This study focused on the effects of caloric restriction and aging on measures of middle-ear function measured with tympanometry. Peak compensated static acoustic admittance (peak Y(tm)) tended to be reduced with aging. For tympanometric width (TW), the effect of age was significant with TW increasing with age. Males had a trend of narrower TW than females. A significant age by sex interaction indicated that TW for males stays relatively constant, whereas TW for females increases with age. The equivalent ear canal volume (V(ea)) was significantly larger in male monkeys than in female monkeys, and marginally larger for the control monkeys than for the caloric restricted monkeys. These results parallel many findings in middle-ear function in aging humans. Longitudinal studies are planned.
authors.affiliation: Department of Communicative Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI 53706, USA. cgfowler@wisc.edu
authors.forename: Cynthia G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Fowler
authors.forename: Kirstin Beach
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Chiasson
authors.forename: Dianna Brown
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.forename: T Mark
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Beasley
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kemnitz
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Weindruch
mesh_terms: D000158:Acoustic Impedance Tests / Q000379:methods*; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000502:physiology*; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008136:Longevity; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D012737:Sex Factors