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Theoretical and Clinical Applications of Otoacoustic Emissions

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A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Acoustics and Vibrations".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2019) | Viewed by 12957

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Rachael Baiduc

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Guest Editor

Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80301, USA

Prof. Dr. Kathleen Hutchinson Marron

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Guest Editor

Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of the Acoustics section of Applied Sciences is the first review on hearing and assessment of hearing function since the journal began in 2011. Spectacular progress has been made during the past 40 years in what we know about hearing mechanisms and deafness. David Kemp’s discovery of otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) in human ears in 1978 was initially met with skepticism but provided tremendous insight into cochlear function and causes of hearing loss.

The high prevalence of hearing impairment constitutes a major global public health challenge due to the impact it has on quality-of-life, social isolation, stress, and economic hardship, especially in older adults. In March 2018, the World Health Organization estimated that approximately 466 million people across the globe experience disabling hearing loss, of which 34 million of these are children. Historically, hearing healthcare falls within a medical model in which diagnostic assessments are used to determine if the hearing loss can be treated with medication and/or surgery. Audiologists and hearing scientists conduct a series of subjective and objective tests to assess auditory function and identify site(s) of lesion for the purposes of remediation and/or treatment. Among these tools, evoked otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) have become a widespread clinical test of cochlear outer hair cell function as part of the diagnostic test battery. OAEs have been shown to reflect alterations in cochlear outer hair cells before clinical hearing loss is present. OAEs can be utilized among infants, children, and individuals unable to complete standard audiometric tests, making it a clinically advantageous assessment.

Two types of evoked OAEs are used clinically: distortion-product (DPOAEs) and transient-evoked (TEOAEs). For DPOAEs, two tones (f₁ and f₂; f₂ > f₁) are presented simultaneously. The frequency relationship between the two frequencies (f₂/f₁ ratio) is selected to elicit a maximum response in the cochlea. The DPOAE is measured at a third frequency mathematically related to the stimulus frequencies (i.e., at the frequency 2f₁-f₂). The amplitude of the DPOAE above the noise floor is then viewed as an indicator of cochlear function. For TEOAEs, clicks or other brief stimuli are used to elicit an emission across a broad frequency range. Whether a clinic uses DPOAE or TEOAE usually depends on the specific clinical populations served, as both methods can be used to detect minor changes in cochlear health. For example, for ototoxicity monitoring, DPOAEs are best used to assess high-frequency changes. OAE measurements are the most powerful when interpreted in conjunction with other subjective and physiologic audiological measures.

By providing a basis for understanding how and why OAE testing works through basic and experimental studies of OAEs, this issue will interest hearing scientists, physiologists, otolaryngologists, and audiologists. That the Applied Science journal has chosen to devote this issue to OAEs and auditory function is a signal that hearing research continues to be an important area for continued study.

Submissions are invited for both original research and review articles. We also welcome papers on stimulus frequency and spontaneous OAEs, especially if they examine some level of clinical applicability.

Dr. Rachael Baiduc
Prof. Dr. Kathleen Hutchinson Marron
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

transient evoked otoacoustic emissions
distortion-product otoacoustic emissions
stimulus frequency otoacoustic emissions
spontaneous otoacoustic emissions
outer hair cells
cochlear physiology

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 2245 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Emerging Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emission Techniques to Identify Preclinical Warning Signs of Basal Cochlear Dysfunction Due to Ototoxicity

by Gayla L. Poling, Brittany Vlosich and Laura E. Dreisbach

Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(15), 3132; https://doi.org/10.3390/app9153132 - 2 Aug 2019

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3383

Abstract

Hundreds of medications commonly prescribed for anticancer treatments and some infections are known to cause hearing damage, referred to as ototoxicity. Preventing or minimizing ototoxicity is critical in order to preserve quality of life for patients receiving treatment and to reduce the societal burden of hearing loss. Current clinical evaluations are restricted to a limited frequency range (≤8 kHz); however, this approach does not permit the earliest detection of ototoxicity, most likely to be observed at the highest frequencies (9–20 kHz). Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) offer a noninvasive, objective approach to monitor cochlear health in those unable to respond via conventional methods. The current report analyzes different DPOAE paradigms used in patients undergoing chemotherapy treatments with various platinum derivatives. Individualized serial monitoring protocols were completed at the highest frequencies with measurable DPOAEs. This allowed the exploration of potential clinical translation opportunities for further quantification of the earliest signs of underlying cochlear damage, which may go undetected with conventional methods. Clinical practice has the potential to be enhanced by emerging DPOAE applications, including targeted monitoring protocols and high-frequency stimuli to assess cochlear function, especially at the highest frequencies, and advanced calibration techniques to ensure the stability of serial measurements. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Theoretical and Clinical Applications of Otoacoustic Emissions)

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16 pages, 1257 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Acquisition and Repeatability of High-Frequency Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions Using Two Different Calibration Methods in Newborns

by Laura Dreisbach Hawe, Nicholas Portugal, Eliza Aguilar, William Hansen, Daniela Kite, Sky McIntyre and Celine Minasian

Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(15), 2947; https://doi.org/10.3390/app9152947 - 24 Jul 2019

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3186

Abstract

Distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) elicited with high-frequency (HF; up to 16 kHz) stimuli are measurable and repeatable in normal-hearing adults and children, adult patients, and are sensitive to ototoxic insults in adults. However, objective tests for monitoring basal cochlear function in those too young to respond subjectively need to be developed. DPOAE levels recorded at frequencies <10 kHz are well characterized, but DPOAE levels measured up to 16 kHz do not exist for newborns. The goal of the current study is to determine if HF DPOAEs are measurable and repeatable in newborns. DPOAEs were measured from 2–16 kHz (f₂/f₁ of 1.22; L₁/L₂ = 65/55 dB SPL) using two different calibration methods (forward pressure level—FPL and in-the-ear—SPL) in 26 newborns. To assess repeatability, the probe was removed then re-inserted for a second round of testing. Results indicate that HF DPOAEs can be evoked and are repeatable in newborns and the use of FPL calibration shows promise for measuring HF responses and maximizing repeatability. To be implemented in monitoring programs where the highest frequencies with responses are continuously tested, stimulus parameters used to evoke newborn HF DPOAEs and calibration methods need further exploration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Theoretical and Clinical Applications of Otoacoustic Emissions)

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14 pages, 3146 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Risk Factors for Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions in Young Adults

by Peter Torre III and Mark B. Reed

Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(8), 1608; https://doi.org/10.3390/app9081608 - 18 Apr 2019

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2442

Abstract

Young adults with normal hearing may exhibit risk factors for hearing loss. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how self-reported personal music (PM) system volume use, preferred listening level, and self-reported alcohol use affects distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs). Two-hundred, sixteen young adults, 161 women and 55 men, participated. Questionnaire data included the PM system and alcohol use. DPOAEs were obtained from 1–6 kHz and collapsed into 1/3rd octave bands and a probe microphone was used to determine preferred listening level. Alcohol was defined as drinks per month (DPM), categorized as No, Light (≤14), and Heavy (>14). Men who reported loud/very loud volume use had statistically significant lower DPOAEs at 1.5, 2, and 3 kHz than men who reported lower volume use. Light and Heavy DPM men had lower DPOAEs at 1.5, 2, and 3 kHz than no DPM men, but this was not statistically significant. There were no DPOAE differences for either variable in women and there was no association between preferred listening level and DPOAEs for women or men. Men who reported loud/very loud volume use and any DPM had poorer mid-frequency DPOAEs. There was not an association for volume use or DPM and DPOAEs in women. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Theoretical and Clinical Applications of Otoacoustic Emissions)

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Review

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14 pages, 604 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Should Otoacoustic Emissions Be Added to the Monitoring Protocol? A Systematic Review

by Kaley Babich and Kathleen T. Dunckley

Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(1), 326; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10010326 - 1 Jan 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3393

Abstract

Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) refers to a loss of hearing, most commonly unilateral, that occurs suddenly (≤72 h) with no identifiable cause or etiology. To date, there is no standard protocol to predict prognosis (hearing recovery) for patients with ISSNHL. However, studies have shown that changes in otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) often occur prior to changes in audiometric hearing thresholds. OAEs originate from the electrochemical motility of the outer hair cells (OHC) and reflect the integrity of the inner ear, specifically the cochlear amplifier. Therefore, OAEs may be useful as a prognostic predictive factor in patients with ISSNHL from the initial onset of symptoms through recovery. A systematic review of the literature was undertaken to assess the relationship between pure tone thresholds, OAEs, and subjective hearing improvement and/or recovery. Fourteen studies were identified for inclusion, and they overwhelmingly support the inclusion of OAEs in the protocol to monitor ISSNHL recovery. This finding supports the development of a standard diagnostic protocol that includes OAEs to predict patient hearing outcomes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Theoretical and Clinical Applications of Otoacoustic Emissions)

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