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Evaluation of otoacoustic emissions in high-risk infants by using an easy and rapid objective auditory screening
P K Plinkert1, G Sesterhenn, R Arold
1Department of Otolaryngology, University of Tübingen, Federal Republic of Germany.
Insights
Click-evoked otoacoustic emissions (EOAEs) reliably screen infant hearing. This non-invasive test accurately identifies normal cochlear function, proving valuable for auditory screening in high-risk infants.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Neonatal screening
- Otoacoustic emissions
Background:
- Infant hearing impairment poses significant developmental risks.
- Early detection is crucial for effective intervention.
- Reliable auditory screening methods are essential for high-risk infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the significance of click-evoked otoacoustic emissions (EOAEs) for auditory screening in infants.
- To compare EOAEs with brainstem-evoked response audiometry (BERA) and stapedial reflex audiometry (SRA).
- To determine the reliability of EOAEs in identifying normal cochlear function.
Main Methods:
- Ninety-five ears from 53 high-risk infants were examined.
- Auditory assessment included BERA, SRA, and EOAEs.
- BERA was used as the reference standard for comparison.
Main Results:
- EOAEs were present in over 90% of ears with BERA thresholds below 30 dB.
- EOAEs were absent when BERA thresholds exceeded 40 dB.
- SRA was positive in approximately 80% of ears with normal BERA thresholds.
Conclusions:
- Click-evoked otoacoustic emissions are a reliable, non-invasive technique for demonstrating normal cochlear function.
- EOAEs are highly effective for auditory screening in infants.
- The fast and reproducible nature of EOAEs makes them suitable for clinical use.
Abstract:
Ninety-five ears of 53 infants at high risk for hearing impairment were examined using brainstem-evoked response audiometry (BERA), stapedial reflex audiometry (SRA) and click-evoked otoacoustic emissions (EOAEs). By taking BERA as a reference, the results obtained were compared in order to evaluate the significance of EOAEs for auditory screening. EOAEs were present in more than 90% of the ears when the BERA threshold was below 30 dB. In this group of infants, the stapedial reflex was positive in about 80% of the ears examined. In contrast, EOAEs were never observed with BERA thresholds exceeding 40 dB. In several cases with BERA thresholds above 30 dB, elevated SRA values could also be recorded. A further advantage of EOAEs and SRA was a recording time of less than 3 min. Since the non-invasive recording of EOAEs was fast and easy to perform and the results obtained were reproducible, we conclude that click-evoked otoacoustic emissions are a reliable technique for demonstrating normal cochlear function.