Relation Between Tympanic Pressure Gradients and Oto Acoustic Emissions

In addition to Stimulus frequuncy and level, emitting Inner ear structurs status, OAEs parameters depend on conductive sound pathways charactristics, so abnormal OAEs donot always represent cochlear abnormality. Middle ear transmites Vibrations in two directions: forward and backward. Middle ear pathologies affect both forward and backward transmission. In this paper, The purpose is investigation of immediate effects of tympanic over - and under - pressure on click evoked Otoacoustic Emissions (CEOAEs) in healthy individuals. Healthy subjects with normal hearing and middle ear were exposed to ambient pressure changes in a pressure champer. The pressure was progressively changed in 100 dapa steps to accomplish on increase and decrease in tympanic pressure. Pressure equilibration of the middle ear was avoided. The relative tympanic over-and under - pressure (+/-320 dapa) was monitored by tympanometry and CEOAEs recorded at every step of tympanic pressure change. The CEOAEs recorded during progressive tympanic over-and under- pressure had reduced amplitude and shorter latencies that were most pronounced in the 750 to 3000 Hz frequency bands.