title: Effects of consecutive trials and test-retest reliability of 1000-Hz tympanometry in adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of consecutive 1000-Hz tympanometry testing on admittance measures, and examine test-retest reliability.
  
  
  METHODS
  Repeated measures with eight trials of 1000-Hz Y(a) and B(a)/G(a) tympanometry, respectively, in two ears of each subject, followed by repeated 226-Hz tympanometry.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-seven normal-hearing young adults.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For single-peak tympanograms, peak Y(tm) and G(tm) systematically increased across trials with a mean change of 8% and 15% at Trial 8, respectively, whereas B(tm) increased marginally. For notched tympanograms, peak Y(tm) and B(tm) decreased by 23% and 162% at Trial 8, and G(tm) in two cases also decreased (10% on average). Trial 2 and 3 contributed 50% to 70% of the total changes. Test-retest differences of subsequently acquired 1000- and 226-Hz tympanograms were smaller than previously reported.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Consecutive testing significantly alters middle-ear admittance in 1000-Hz tympanometry. The outcome is contingent on tympanogram pattern and admittance component: Increase of peak Y(tm) and G(tm) in single-peak tympanograms and decrease of all measures in notched tympanograms. The present results complement previous studies on our understanding of the mechanism underlying this effect: a decrease of middle-ear stiffness. The effect of repetitive tympanometry should be accounted for in research involving sequential testing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Wichita State University , Wichita, Kansas , USA.
authors.forename: Carla Dominguez
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Carazo
authors.forename: Xiao-Ming
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000158:Acoustic Impedance Tests / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000328:Adult; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: 1000-Hz tympanometry; acoustic admittance; acoustic immittance; conductance; middle ear; susceptance; tympanometric preconditioning