title: Distortion product otoacoustic emissions upon ear canal pressurization.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to quantify the change in distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) level upon ear canal pressurization. DPOAEs were measured on 12 normal-hearing human subjects for ear canal static pressures between -200 and +200 daPa in (50 ± 5) daPa steps. A clear dependence of DPOAE levels on the pressure was observed, with levels being highest at the maximum compliance of the middle ear, and decreasing on average by 2.3 dB per 50 daPa for lower and higher pressures. Ear canal pressurization can serve as a tool for improving the detectability of DPOAEs in the case of middle-ear dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig, Germany. mazebian@gmail.com
authors.forename: Makram
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zebian
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Schirkonyer
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hensel
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vollbort
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fedtke
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Janssen
mesh_terms: D000162:Acoustics; D000293:Adolescent; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D003187:Compliance; D004424:Ear Canal / Q000502:physiology*; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017084:Otoacoustic Emissions, Spontaneous; D011312:Pressure; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D055815:Young Adult