Patricia A. Dorn
Glenis R. Long
Dept. of Audiol. & Speech Sci., Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN 47905
Carrick L. Talmadge
Lauren Shaffer
Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN 47905
In humans the prevalence of spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAEs) depends on gender, pigmentation (race), and auditory status. Potential sources for variations in SOAE prevalence may include outer/middle ear characteristics and trauma to the auditory system. To explore these variables, auditory system structure, status, and history was obtained for each subject from whom SOAE recordings were obtained. Outer ear characteristics were determined from resonance peaks in a spectrum of white noise measured in the ear canal. Middle ear characteristics were obtained with multifrequency tympanometry. Auditory system trauma was determined by assessing hearing thresholds and from reports of noise exposure, medication history, and otologic surgery/illnesses. The results will be discussed in terms of their implications for clinical applications and models of the auditory system. [Work supported by the Showalter Foundation.]