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Characterizing the Relationship Between Reflection and Distortion Otoacoustic Emissions in Normal-Hearing Adults

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Abstract

Otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) arise from one (or a combination) of two basic generation mechanisms in the cochlea: nonlinear distortion and linear reflection. As a result of having distinct generation processes, these two classes of emissions may provide non-redundant information about hair-cell integrity and show distinct sensitivities to cochlear pathology. Here, we characterize the relationship between reflection and distortion emissions in normal hearers across a broad frequency and stimulus-level space using novel analysis techniques. Furthermore, we illustrate the promise of this approach in a small group of individuals with mild-moderate hearing loss. A “joint-OAE profile” was created by measuring interleaved swept-tone stimulus-frequency OAEs (SFOAEs) and 2f1-f2 distortion-product OAEs (DPOAEs) in the same ears using well-considered parameters. OAE spectra and input/output functions were calculated across five octaves. Using our specific recording protocol and analysis scheme, SFOAEs in normal hearers had higher levels than did DPOAEs, with the most pronounced differences occurring at the highest stimulus levels. Also, SFOAE compression occurred at higher stimulus levels (than did DPOAE compression) and its growth in the compressed region was steeper. The diagnostic implications of these findings and the influence of the measurement protocol on both OAEs (and on their relationship) are discussed.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Chandan Suresh and Monica Padilla for assistance with scheduling/testing in the early phases of this study and Samantha Stiepan for providing comments on an earlier version of this manuscript.

Funding

This study is supported by grants DC003552 (CA) and DC018307 (CA, CAS) from the National Institutes of Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Auditory Research Center, Caruso Department of Otolaryngology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA

    Carolina Abdala, Ping Luo & Christopher A. Shera

  2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA

    Christopher A. Shera

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  1. Carolina Abdala
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  2. Ping Luo
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Correspondence to Carolina Abdala.

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Abdala, C., Luo, P. & Shera, C.A. Characterizing the Relationship Between Reflection and Distortion Otoacoustic Emissions in Normal-Hearing Adults. JARO 23, 647–664 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10162-022-00857-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10162-022-00857-z

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