An otoacoustic emission (OAE) is a low-level sound emitted by the cochlea either spontaneously or evoked by an auditory stimulus. Specifically, OAEs provide information related to the function of the outer hair cells (OHC) (Stach, 2003). Over the past 20 years, their use in routine audiological assessments has increased significantly. Today, OAEs are used commonly in the audiological assessment of difficult to test patients, such as persons who cannot or will not volunteer reliable behavioral responses. OAEs are routinely used in the pediatric population to verify behavioral responses and obtain additional frequency-specific information. In addition, they are routinely used in newborn hearing screening programs across the world. OAEs have many benefits: they are easy to obtain, non-invasive, and provide reliable information regarding cochlear status in a relatively short time.

Present OAEs in an ear indicate many things about the auditory system. First, a present OAE tells us that the conductive mechanism of the ear is functioning properly. This includes proper forward and reverse transmission, no blockage of the external auditory canal, normal tympanic membrane movement, and a functioning impedance matching system. Present OAEs also indicate that OHC function is normal, which, in most cases, correlates with normal hearing sensitivity. OAE testing does have some limitations. OAE testing does not evaluate the inner hair cells (IHC), nVIII, ascending central auditory pathway, or auditory processing function

A strong knowledge of cochlear anatomy and physiology must exist to understand OAEs. Generally speaking, OAEs are waves generated by movement of the basilar membrane and are measured in the external auditory canal. However, with an in-depth understanding of cochlear anatomy and physiology, OAEs can be directly related to OHC function. There are many events leading up to this. First, there is a stimulus delivered to the ear.

https://www.longdom.org/submissions/phonetics-audiology.html

Authors are requested to submit manuscripts as an E-mail attachemnt to editorial office at manuscripts@longdom.org

Lisa M

Journal manager

Journal of phonetics and audiology

E-mail: jpay@scholarlypub.com