title: Estimates of cochlear compression using distortion product otoacoustic emissions and growth of forward masking.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The authors investigated the relationship between behavioral and physiologic estimates of cochlear compression.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cochlear compression was estimated in distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) fine structure minima and maxima near 4 kHz. The composite DPOAE response and separated generator and reflection components yielded three estimates in four young adults with normal hearing. DPOAE estimates were compared to behavioral compression estimates derived using a growth of forward masking (GOFM) paradigm. The DPOAE primary tone f2 and GOFM signal were identical and selected individually based on placement in a DPOAE fine structure minimum.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Across participants, DPOAE compression estimates derived from the generator component were most similar to estimates derived from the GOFM paradigm and did not vary with DPOAE fine structure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that the generator component may provide a quick, reliable estimate of cochlear compression in humans. This may prove useful in populations that cannot give behavioral responses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hearing and Speech Science, Vanderbilt University, Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
authors.forename: Travis M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Linda J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Hood
authors.forename: Benjamin W Y
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Hornsby
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003051:Cochlea / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017084:Otoacoustic Emissions, Spontaneous / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult