Real ear unaided responses in ears with tympanic membrane perforations

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Otoacoustic Emissions
• Hearing Science

Background:

• Tympanic membrane (TM) perforations can affect hearing function.
• Real ear unaided responses (REURs) provide insights into the acoustic behavior of the ear canal and TM.
• Understanding how TM perforation size influences REURs is crucial for audiological assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between the size of tympanic membrane (TM) perforations and real ear unaided responses (REURs).
• To determine if TM perforation size influences specific acoustic parameters measured by REURs.

Main Methods:

• Evaluated 13 adult patients with varying degrees of TM perforations.
• Utilized probe-microphone measurements to obtain real ear unaided responses (REURs).
• Analyzed REURs for mean peak frequency and peak dB gain, comparing intact TMs, perforated TMs (differentiated by size), and post-perforation closure.

Main Results:

• No substantial differences in mean peak frequency or peak dB gain were observed across intact TMs, perforated TMs (regardless of size), or before/after perforation closure.
• Individual analysis revealed that ears with large TM perforations consistently exhibited bimodal REURs.
• Ears with small TM perforations did not show significant differences in REURs compared to intact TMs.

Conclusions:

• While overall REUR metrics may not change significantly with TM perforations, the presence of large perforations alters the acoustic response pattern.
• Large TM perforations are associated with bimodal REURs, indicating a specific acoustic effect related to perforation size.
• The size of a TM perforation is a critical factor influencing the spectral characteristics of real ear unaided responses.