Exploiting Dual Otoacoustic Emission Sources.
Two distinct processes generate otoacoustic emissions (OAEs).Reflection-sourceemissions, here recorded as stimulus frequency OAEs, are optimally informative at low sound levels and are more sensitive to slight hearing loss; they have been linked to cochlear amplifier gain and tuning.Distortion-sourceemissions are strongest at moderate-high sound levels and persist despite mild hearing loss; they likely originate in the nonlinear process of hair cell transduction. In this preliminary study, we exploit the unique features of each by generating a combined reflection-distortion OAE profile in normal hearing and hearing-impaired ears. Distortion-product (DP) and stimulus-frequency (SF) OAEs were recorded over a broad range of stimulus levels and frequencies. Individual I/O and transfer functions were generated for both emission types in each ear, and OAE peak strength, compression threshold, and rate of compression were calculated. These combined SFOAE and DPOAE features in normal and hearing-impaired ears may provide a potentially informative and novel index of hearing loss. This is an initial step toward utilizing OAE source in characterizing cochlear function and dysfunction.
Department of Otolaryngology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California.
Carolina
C
Abdala
Department of Otolaryngology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California.
Radha
R
Kalluri
J Acoust Soc Am. 1999 Feb;105(2 Pt 1):782-98
9972564
J Acoust Soc Am. 2007 Dec;122(6):3562-75
18247764
Int J Audiol. 2004 Jun;43(6):307-22
15457813
Nat Genet. 2001 Nov;29(3):345-9
11687802
J Acoust Soc Am. 2013 Jul;134(1):356-68
23862813
J Acoust Soc Am. 1993 Nov;94(5):2639-48
8270740
J Acoust Soc Am. 2008 Sep;124(3):1613-26
19045653
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2002 Mar 5;99(5):3318-23
11867706
J Acoust Soc Am. 2007 Apr;121(4):2097-110
17471725
J Assoc Res Otolaryngol. 2012 Jun;13(3):403-21
22476702
J Acoust Soc Am. 2011 Feb;129(2):792-800
21361438
J Acoust Soc Am. 2010 Jan;127(1):316-25
20058979
J Acoust Soc Am. 2009 Mar;125(3):1584-94
19275316