INFLUENCE OF STATIC MIDDLE-EAR PRESSURE ON TRANSIENTLY EVOKED OTOACOUSTIC EMISSIONS AND DISTORTION PRODUCTS

Citation
Pk. Plinkert et al., INFLUENCE OF STATIC MIDDLE-EAR PRESSURE ON TRANSIENTLY EVOKED OTOACOUSTIC EMISSIONS AND DISTORTION PRODUCTS, European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology, 251(2), 1994, pp. 95-99
Citations number
24
Categorie Soggetti
Otorhinolaryngology
ISSN journal
09374477
Volume
251
Issue
2
Year of publication
1994
Pages
95 - 99
Database
ISI
SICI code
0937-4477(1994)251:2<95:IOSMPO>2.0.ZU;2-S
Abstract
Otoacoustic emissions (OAE) are influenced in their amplitude and freq uency spectra by the middle ear. The effects of changes in the middle ear transmission mechanisms on transiently evoked OAE (TEOAE) and dist ortion product emissions (DPOAE) were investigated as a function of st atic ear canal pressure in 25 normal-hearing test persons aged 18-35 y ears. The ear canal pressure was varied stepwise between positive and negative values of 200 daPa. TEOAE and DPOAE amplitudes were attenuate d significantly with changes of the static ear canal pressure, with gr eatest changes at low frequencies (< 2 kHz). The alterations of OAE am plitude were slightly dependent on the polarity of the pressure, with positive pressure producing a greater attenuation (0.6 dB). The result s demonstrate that changes in middle ear impedance can cause a misinte rpretation of OAE. To avoid this problem, tympanometry should always p recede OAE measurements. Alternatively, both methods can be combined u sing one acoustic probe, so that the emissions can be evoked at the pe ak of middle ear compliance.