Implications of OAE Cochlear Source Contribution

目前的想法认为，两个耳蜗源导致失真产物耳声发射(DPOAEs)，一个失真源和一个反射源。相比之下，低水平刺激频率的OAEs(SFOAEs)被认为是由反射源贡献主导的。有人提出，如果减少或消除反射源的贡献，DPOAEs将更准确地预测行为阈值和识别听觉状态，尽管这一假设尚未得到检验。这项研究的主要目的是确定耳蜗源对耳声发射测试成绩的影响。提出了四个具体目标。1)将确定减少反射源对DPOAE的贡献的最有效的抑制器音调。2)从传统的(双源)DPOAEs、失真源DPOAEs(反射源抑制的)和SFOAEs预测行为阈值的准确性将在正常和受损的人耳中进行评估。3)临床决策理论将被用来评估双源(传统DPOAE)和单源OAEs(失真源DPOAEs和SFOAEs)对听觉状态进行二分法决策的准确性。4)将评估精细结构在预测和诊断误差中的作用(认为产生于DPOAE的扭曲和反射源能量的复杂总和)。

Current thinking suggests that two cochlear sources contribute to distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs), a distortion source and a reflection source. In contrast, low-level stimulus frequency OAEs (SFOAEs) are believed to be dominated by reflection-source contributions. It has been proposed that DPOAEs would more accurately predict behavioral threshold and identify auditory status if the reflection-source contribution is reduced or eliminated, although this hypothesis has not been tested. The broad objective of the proposed study is to determine the influence of cochlear-source contribution on OAE test performance. Four specific aims are posed. 1) The most effective suppressor tone for reducing the reflection-source contribution to DPOAEs will be determined. 2) Accuracy in predicting behavioral thresholds from traditional (two-source) DPOAEs, distortion-source DPOAEs (reflection source suppressed), and SFOAEs, will be evaluated in normal and impaired human ears. 3) Clinical decision theory will be used to evaluate the accuracy with which dichotomous decisions regarding auditory status are made with two-source (traditional DPOAEs) and single-source OAEs (distortion-source DPOAEs and SFOAEs). 4) The role of fine structure (thought to arise from the complex summation of distortion- and reflection-source energy for DPOAEs) in prediction and diagnostic errors will be evaluated.