Stimulated Oto-acoustic Emissions and Middle Ear Pneumatic Spaces

Abstract

Middle ear factors influencing the measurements of stimulated oto-acoustic emissions (OAE) may need to be examined for its clinical application. One of those factors is a capacity of the middle ear pneumatic space. The capacity was inferred from the areas measured by the X-ray photograph in Schüller's projection. There was no correlation between the capacity of the pneumatic space and the best frequency of OAE; nor between the capacity of the pneumatic space and the static compliance of impedance audiometry. There was, however, a positive correlation between the pseudothreshold of OAE and the capacity of the pneumatic space. And the capacity of the pneumatic space in the age under 10 years old was smaller than that in adult age. Therefore, it was suggested that the increase of OAE pseudothreshold could be influenced by the capacity increase of the pneumatic space along aging.