Energy Reflectance Tympanometry in Infants

描述（由申请人提供）：本研究的目的是使用宽带能量反射鼓室压测定法检查婴儿中耳的发育。具体来说，本研究将检查1个月，3个月和6个月大的婴儿和年轻人的能量反射鼓室压。最近在成人和年龄较大的儿童中使用反射式鼓室导抗测试的研究表明，这种技术比传统的中耳导纳对中耳疾病更敏感，并且是传导性听力损失的良好预测因子。能量反射式鼓室导抗法在婴儿人群中的应用具有重要意义，因为目前需要在新生儿听力筛查计划中对婴儿和新生儿进行有效的中耳功能测试，并随后进行随访。假设外耳道中的压力变化影响来自婴儿耳朵的声学响应不同于成人耳朵。正压力和负压力对婴儿宽带反射模式的影响将在不同年龄段进行表征，并与成人反应进行比较。这项研究的结果将促进我们对婴儿耳朵发育变化的理解，并为婴儿和新生儿中耳功能障碍的未来研究提供信息。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of the present study is to examine the development of the infant middle ear using wideband energy reflectance tympanometry. Specifically, this study will examine energy reflectance tympanometry in 1-, 3-, and 6-month-old infants and young adults. Recent studies in adults and older children using reflectance tympanometry have shown this technique to be more sensitive to middle ear disorders than traditional middle ear admittance, as well as being a good predictor of conductive hearing loss. The application of energy reflectance tympanometry in an infant population is of significant interest in light of the current need for a valid test of middle ear function for infants and neonates in newborn hearing screening programs, and subsequent follow up. It is hypothesized that pressure changes in the external ear canal affect the acoustic responses from the infant ear differently than the adult ear. The effects of positive and negative pressure on wideband reflectance patterns in infants will be characterized across age and compared to adult responses. Results of this study will advance our understanding of developmental changes in the infant ear and inform future studies of middle ear dysfunction in infants and neonates.