Evoked oto-acoustic emissions from adults and infants: clinical applications

Evoked oto-acoustic emissions (EOAEs), i.e. sounds emitted by the cochlea in response to a click, are recordable in the ear canal by a miniature microphone. They reflect an active cochlear biomechanism based upon OHC function, which accounts for the exquisite properties of sensitivity and frequency selectivity of the cochlea. EOAE recordings can therefore be considered an objective, easy, rapid and non-invasive audiological procedure which can be used to investigate the most sensitive part of the cochlea. From our experience of more than 300 recordings, we propose several clinical applications of EOAEs: 1) objective assessment of sensorineural hearing loss; 2) staging Meniere's disease by recording glycerol-induced changes; 3) diagnosis of retrocochlear pathology, and 4) screening of auditory function in infants.