Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 10, 2026
Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations
Published on: July 1, 2015
Clinical applications of transiently evoked otoacoustic emissions in the pediatric population
S S Choi1, I A Pafitis, G H Zalzal
1Department of Pediatric Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Children's National Medical Center, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20010, USA.
Insights
Transiently evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) are impacted by middle ear conditions, but hearing loss is the primary factor influencing TEOAE results. TEOAEs effectively detect hearing loss of 25 dB HL or greater.
Area of Science:
- Otoacoustic Emissions Research
- Audiology
- Pediatric Otolaryngology
Background:
- Transiently evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) are a non-invasive measure of cochlear outer hair cell function.
- Middle ear status, including tympanic membrane (TM) condition and middle ear (ME) effusion, can potentially affect TEOAE measurements.
- Accurate interpretation of TEOAEs requires understanding their susceptibility to middle ear pathologies and their efficacy in detecting hearing loss.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of tympanic membrane and middle ear status on TEOAEs.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of TEOAEs in identifying hearing loss.
- To determine the relative influence of middle ear status versus hearing loss on TEOAE outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Prospective observational study involving 89 pediatric patients (169 ears).
- Clinical otologic examinations and tympanometry were performed.
- Audiologic evaluations included TEOAE testing, focusing on whole reproducibility (WR) and reproducibility (R) at 2 kHz.
Main Results:
- Middle ear effusion and normal examination findings significantly affected TEOAE WR and R at 2 kHz.
- Tympanogram types B and C showed significant effects on WR, while types A and B affected R.
- Absence of TEOAE WR and R at 2 kHz accurately predicted hearing loss of ≥25 dB HL.
Conclusions:
- Abnormal middle ear status, indicated by type B/C tympanograms and middle ear effusion, adversely affects TEOAEs.
- Hearing loss is the most significant predictor of TEOAE results.
- TEOAE WR and R at 2 kHz are reliable indicators for identifying normal hearing and significant hearing loss (≥25 dB HL).
Abstract:
Our objectives were 1) to determine whether transiently evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) are affected by the status of the tympanic membrane (TM) and middle ear (ME) as determined by clinical examinations and tympanograms; 2) to determine the efficacy of TEOAEs in detecting hearing loss; and 3) to determine the relative effects of the ME status and hearing loss on TEOAEs. In a prospective observational study in a tertiary care children's hospital, 89 patients (169 ears; 9 ears eliminated from analyses) were examined by 2 attending pediatric otolaryngologists for otologic conditions and underwent audiologic evaluations including TEOAEs from August 1994 through May 1995. The main outcome measures were presence or absence of TEOAE whole reproducibility (WR) and reproducibility (R) at 2 kHz. Statistical analyses showed that of the 8 ME and TM conditions evaluated (normal, TM perforation, pressure equalization [PE] tube, TM retraction, tympanosclerosis, TM atrophy, ME effusion, surgery other than PE tube insertion), only the presence of ME effusion and normal examination findings had a significant effect on the results of WR and R at 2 kHz. Of the 6 different types of tympanograms evaluated (A, B, C, AD, As, B with large volume), type A, B, and C tympanograms had a significant effect on WR and types A and B had a significant effect on R at 2 kHz. Hearing losses > or = 25 dB hearing level (HL) at any of the 5 frequencies (0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz) were well predicted by the absence of WR and R at 2 kHz. When clinical examination and impedance data were evaluated simultaneously with hearing status, hearing status had a greater effect on WR and R at 2 kHz. We conclude that type B and C tympanograms and the presence of ME effusion (which reflect abnormal ME status) have an adverse effect on TEOAEs. However, the presence of hearing loss is the most significant predictor of TEOAE results. The TEOAE WR and R at 2 kHz are effective in identifying patients with normal hearing and with hearing losses > or = 25 dB HL.
More Related Videos
14:05Behavioral Assessment of Hearing in 2 to 4 Year-old Children: A Two-interval, Observer-based Procedure Using Conditioned Play-based Responses
Published on: January 23, 2017
06:04Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
Published on: March 24, 2023