AGE EFFECTS IN MIDDLE EAR REFLECTANCE MEASUREMENT

中耳反射率测量中的年龄影响

• 批准号: 6176935
• 负责人: Martin Patrick Feeney
• 金额: $ 5.04万
• 依托单位: OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 1999
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1999-07-01 至 2002-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6176935
• 关键词: age difference; aging; audiometry; auditory reflex; clinical research; ear muscle; electrical impedance; electrical measurement; electrophysiology; human subject; joint stiffness; middle ear; muscle contraction; otoacoustic emission; sound frequency; tympanum

Anatomical studies have shown that the ossicular joints and tympanic membrane stiffen with age. Research attempting to quantify the acoustical ramifications of these changes using traditional clinical impedance tools has been inconclusive. However, the measurements used in these studies have been restricted to the frequency range of 200 to 2000 Hz due to technological limitations. The long-term objective of the proposed research is to characterize the effect of aging on the middle ear by expanding the assessment of middle ear function to an important frequency region for the perception of speech consonants: 2000 to 6000 Hz. New technology will be used to measure energy reflectance and impedance over a wider bandwidth than previously possible: 200 to 10,000 Hz. The specific aims of the current proposal are 1) to examine the effect of age on static wide-band energy reflectance and impedance; and 2) to examine the effect of age on changes in wide-band energy reflectance and impedance produced by the contralateral acoustic reflex. Two specific hypotheses will be tested: 1) that high frequency energy reflectance of the middle ear measured at peak tympanometric pressure increases with age; and 2) that a change in wide-band energy reflectance and impedance patterns of the contralateral acoustic reflex will be observed with age. The first hypothesis is consistent with the developmental trend of increasing middle ear reflectance in the high frequencies. The second hypothesis is suggested in the data showing a stiffening of the incudostapedial joint with age which would alter the resonance characteristics of the reflex. Both of these hypotheses are supported by pilot data obtained from young and elderly subjects. A cross-sectional study is proposed in which both static and reflex-related measures of wide-band energy reflectance and impedance would be obtained. Three groups of 40 subjects will be used, with equal numbers of males and females aged 18-27,40-49 and greater than or equal to 60 years. A two- way analysis of variance will be used to assess differences in 1/3 octave band energy reflectance and impedance measures across age groups and gender. The data from these experiments will lay the groundwork for further studies to examine the development of middle ear function. Since the acoustic properties of the middle ear have been shown to have a dramatic effect on hearing aid performance, and since around one half of the 23,000,000 Americans over the age of 65 may be candidates for amplification this research has implications for the quality of health care for these individuals.

解剖学研究表明，听骨关节和鼓膜随年龄增长而老化。 尝试使用传统临床阻抗工具量化这些变化的声学分支的研究一直没有定论。然而，由于技术限制，这些研究中使用的测量仅限于200至2000 Hz的频率范围。 拟议研究的长期目标是通过将中耳功能评估扩展到语音辅音感知的重要频率区域（2000至6000 Hz）来表征衰老对中耳的影响。 新技术将用于在比以前更宽的带宽上测量能量反射率和阻抗：200至10，000 Hz。 当前提案的具体目标是：1）检查年龄对静态宽带能量反射和阻抗的影响; 2）检查年龄对侧声反射产生的宽带能量反射和阻抗变化的影响。 将检验两个特定假设：1）峰值鼓室压下测量的中耳高频能量反射率随年龄增加; 2）将观察到对侧声反射的宽带能量反射率和阻抗模式随年龄变化。 第一个假说与中耳反射率在高频区增加的发展趋势相一致。 第二个假设是建议的数据显示，随着年龄的增长，这将改变反射的共振特性的砧镫关节硬化。 这两种假设都得到了从年轻和老年受试者中获得的试验数据的支持。 一个横截面的研究，提出了在静态和反射相关的措施，宽带能量反射率和阻抗将获得。 将使用三组40名受试者，年龄为18- 27岁、40 -49岁和≥ 60岁的男性和女性人数相等。 将使用双向方差分析来评估不同年龄组和性别的1/3倍频程频带能量反射率和阻抗测量的差异。 这些实验的数据将为进一步研究中耳功能的发展奠定基础。 由于中耳的声学特性已被证明对助听器性能有显着影响，并且由于65岁以上的23，000，000美国人中约有一半可能是放大的候选人，因此这项研究对这些人的医疗保健质量有影响。