Clinical relevance of medial efferent auditory pathways

Evoked otoacoustic emissions have been shown to be suppressed by sounds app lied in the contralateral ear and this effect can be largely explained by t he involvement of medial olivocochlear efferent fibers. Thus, EOAE recordin g during contralateral stimulation provides a non-invasive means of investi gating auditory efferent system functioning in humans. The question remains , however, as to whether this test provides a tool, which could be useful i n a variety of clinical applications. This review describes current clinica l applications for this test, showing that it may prove useful for improvin g identification of retrocochlear pathologies. Some new areas are also iden tified. Methodological topics are discussed and suggestions for maximizing the value of this test are proposed.