title: On the origin of ear clicks during deglutition or pressure equalization.
abstract: To explore the origin of clicking sounds in the ear during deglutition or other pharyngeal movements, which are interpreted differently in the literature. Experimental study at a tertiary referral centre. Acoustic phenomena during a forced opening test of the Eustachian tube (ET) were studied in a temporal bone model. Additionally, in vivo experiments were carried out in healthy volunteers for ruling out movements of the ossicular chain or the drumhead as potential causes of clicks. Thus, acoustic recordings were performed parallel to stapedius or tensor reflex measurements or pneumatic video endoscopies of the tympanic membrane. Obviously the acoustic signals (clicks) appear when the tube opens, which could be visualized and acoustically recorded during forced opening tests in temporal bone experiments. Middle ear muscle contractions with movements of the tympanic membrane did not cause any click events. Together with the results of a previous paper (9) we interpret the clicks as disruptions of fluid or mucus films covering the mucosa during the ET opening. The final goal of our studies is to use such clicks as indicators of ET openings in a new tube function test, which has to be elaborated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, "Otto Koerner", Rostock University Medical Center, Doberaner Str. 137-9, 18057, Rostock, Germany. pau@med.uni-rostock.de.
authors.forename: Hans Wilhelm
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Pau
authors.affiliation: Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, "Otto Koerner", Rostock University Medical Center, Doberaner Str. 137-9, 18057, Rostock, Germany.
authors.forename: Karsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ehrt
authors.affiliation: ENT Department, Military Hospital, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans-Georg
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.affiliation: Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, "Otto Koerner", Rostock University Medical Center, Doberaner Str. 137-9, 18057, Rostock, Germany.
authors.forename: Attila
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ovari
authors.affiliation: Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, "Otto Koerner", Rostock University Medical Center, Doberaner Str. 137-9, 18057, Rostock, Germany.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mlynski
mesh_terms: D000162:Acoustics; D000328:Adult; D002102:Cadaver; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology*; D004429:Ear Ossicles; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000502:physiology; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods; D005064:Eustachian Tube / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D010614:Pharynx / Q000502:physiology; D011312:Pressure; D013198:Stapedius / Q000502:physiology; D013701:Temporal Bone; D014432:Tympanic Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Ear clicking; Ear microphone; New tube function test; Tube manometry; Tube opening