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Modeling DPOAE input/output function compression: comparisons with hearing thresholds.
1Hearing Science Laboratory, School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN.
Journal of the American Academy of Audiology
|November 8, 2014
Summary
Distortion-product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) measurements show a strong link to hearing thresholds at 2 kHz in normal-hearing adults. This suggests DPOAEs can indirectly assess human cochlear compression and tone detection.
Area of Science:
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Human Physiology
- Otoacoustic Emissions
Background:
- Mammalian basilar membrane input/output (I/O) functions exhibit linear and compressed segments near characteristic frequencies.
- Distortion-product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) I/O functions offer an indirect method to study human basilar membrane compression.
- Prior studies connected compression estimates from behavioral growth-of-masking functions to hearing thresholds.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare compression estimates derived from DPOAE I/O functions with hearing thresholds at 1 and 2 kHz.
- To investigate the relationship between cochlear mechanics and auditory perception in humans.
Main Methods:
- A prospective correlational design was employed.
- DPOAE I/O functions and hearing thresholds were measured in 16 normal-hearing adults (aged 22-42).
- A three-segment linear regression model analyzed DPOAE I/O functions to estimate compression thresholds and slopes; Pearson correlations assessed relationships with hearing thresholds.
Main Results:
- A significant correlation was found between DPOAE compression thresholds and hearing thresholds at 2 kHz.
- Compression slopes also showed a high correlation with hearing thresholds, but only at 2 kHz.
- No significant correlations were observed at 1 kHz.
Conclusions:
- Estimating cochlear compression using DPOAE I/O functions is a viable method for characterizing human basilar membrane mechanics.
- This approach elucidates the role of cochlear compression in tone detection within the 1-2 kHz frequency range.
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