Tinnitus and normal hearing: a study on the transient otoacoustic emissions suppression.
The workings of the auditory pathway of patients with tinnitus and normal hearing can be associated with an auditory efferent pathway dysfunction at the level of the superior olivary complex. Otoacoustic emission suppression with contralateral noise can represent an alternative to its evaluation.


OBJECTIVE
to investigate Transient Otoacoustic Emission suppression in normal hearing adults with and without tinnitus and to compare the two groups.


METHODS
cross-sectional contemporary cohort.


METHODS
we assessed 40 female individuals between 18 and 59 years of age, 20 without tinnitus and 20 with it. We studied the TOAE suppression with a contralateral white noise at 50 dBSPL.


RESULTS
TOAE amplitude was lower in the group with tinnitus. There was no difference between the groups with and without tinnitus in terms of TOAE suppression, except in the frequency of 1000 Hz in the left ear in the tinnitus group.


CONCLUSIONS
the afferent system assessment may contribute to the topographic diagnosis of tinnitus; however, we still need further studies to establish the proper methodology and normative values to carry out these tests.
Fernandes
Luciene da Cruz
Lda C
Santos
Teresa Maria Momensohn dos
TM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017084:Otoacoustic Emissions, Spontaneous / Q000502:physiology*; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult