Download PDF
J Am Acad Audiol 2001; 12(10): 506-513
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1745641
Original Article

Distortion-Product Otoacoustic Emissions in Schoolchildren: Effects of Ear Asymmetry, Handedness, and Gender

Tegan Keogh
Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
,
Joseph Kei
Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
,
Carlie Driscoll
Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
,
Veronica Smyth
Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
› Author Affiliations
› Further Information
  PDF Download  Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

The present study examined effects of ear asymmetry, handedness, and gender on distortionproduct otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) obtained from schoolchildren. A total of 1003 children (528 boys and 475 girls), with a mean age of 6.2 years (SD = 0.4, range = 5.2–7.9 years), were tested in a quiet room at their schools using the GSI-60 DPOAE system. A distortion-product (DP)-gram was obtained for each ear, with f2 varying from 1.1 to 6.0 kHz and the ratio of f2/f 1 at 1.21. The signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) (DPOAE amplitude minus the mean noise floor) at the tested frequencies 1.1,1.5, 1.9, 2.4, 3.0, 3.8, 4.8, and 6.0 kHz were measured. The results revealed a small but significant difference in SNR between ears, with right ears showing a higher mean SNR than left ears at 1.9, 3.0, 3.8, and 6.0 kHz. At these frequencies, the difference in mean SNR between ears was less than 1 dB. A significant gender effect was also found. Girls exhibited a higher SNR than boys at 3.8, 4.8, and 6.0 kHz. The difference in mean SNR, as a result of the gender effect, was about 1 to 2 dB at these frequencies. There was no significant difference in mean SNR between left-handed and right-handed children for all tested frequencies.

Abbreviations: DPOAE = distortion-product otoacoustic emission, OAE = otoacoustic emission, SNR = signal-to-noise ratio, SOAE = spontaneous otoacoustic emission, TEOAE = transient evoked otoacoustic emission

Keywords

Children - distortion-product otoacoustic emissions - ear asymmetry - gender - handedness - hearing screening


Publication History

Article published online:
07 March 2022

© 2001. American Academy of Audiology. This article is published by Thieme.

Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.
333 Seventh Avenue, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10001, USA

 

  • REFERENCES

  • Aidan D, Lestang P, Avan P, Bonfils P. (1997). Characteristics of transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOEs) in neonates. Otolaryngology 117:25–30.
  • Ashmore JF, Holley MC. (1988). Temperaturedependence of a fast motile response in isolated outer hair cells of the guinea pig cochlea. Q J Exp Physiol 73:143–145.
  • Bilger RC, Matthies ML, Hammel DR, Demarest ME. (1990). Genetic implications of gender differences in the prevalence of spontaneous otoacoustic emissions. J Speech Hear Res 33:418–432.
  • Bryden MP. (1986). Dichotic listening performance, cognitive ability and cerebral organisation. Can J Psychiatry 40:445–456.
  • Bums EM, Arehart KH, Campbell SL. (1992). Prevalence of spontaneous otoacoustic emissions in neonates. J Acoust Soc Am 91:1571–1575.
  • CacaceA, McClelland W, Weiner J, McFarland D. (1996). Individual differences and the reliability of 2fl-f2 distortion-product otoacoustic emissions: effects of time- of-day, stimulus variables, and gender. J Speech Hear Res 39:1138–1148.
  • Chung DY, Mason K, Gannon RP, Wilson GN. (1983). The ear effect as a function of age and hearing loss. J Acoust Soc Am 73:1277–1282.
  • Demarest J, Demarest L. (1980). Auditory asymmetry and strength of manual preference re-examined. Int J Neurosci 11:121–124.
  • Don M, Ponton CW, Eggermont JJ, Masuda A. (1993). Gender differences in cochlear response time: an explanation for gender amplitude differences in the unmasked auditory brain-stem response. J Acoust Soc Am 94:2135–2148.
  • Driscoll C, Kei J, Murdoch B, McPherson B, Smyth V, Latham S, Löscher J. (1999). Transient evoked emissions in two-month-old infants: a normative study. Audiology 38:181–186.
  • Driscoll C, Kei J, McPherson B. (2000). Transient evoked otoacoustic emissions in 6–year-old school children: a normative study. Scand Audiol 29:103–110.
  • Emmerich DS, Harris J, Brown WS, Springer SP. (1988). The relationship between auditory sensitivity and ear asymmetry on a dichotic listening task. Neuropsychologia 26:133–143.
  • Gaskill SA, Brown AM. (1990). The behavior of the acoustic distortion product, 2fl-f2, from the human ear and its relation to auditory sensitivity. J Acoust Soc Am 88:821–839.
  • Gilbert AN, Wisocki CJ. (1992). Hand preference and age in the United States. Neuropsychologia 30:601–608.
  • Gitter AH. (1992). The length of isolated outer hair cells is temperature dependent. J Otorhinolaryngol 54:121–123.
  • Harris FP, Lonsbury-Martin BL, Stagner BB, Coats AC, Martin GK. (1989). Acoustic distortion products in humans: systematic changes in amplitudes as a function of f2/fl ratio. J Acoust Soc Am 85:220–229.
  • Jerger J. (1970). Clinical experience with impedance audiometry. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 92:311–324.
  • Kei J, McPherson B, Smyth V, Latham S, Löscher J. (1997). Transient evoked otoacoustic emissions in infants: effects of gender, ear asymmetry and activity status. Audiology 36:61–71.
  • Khalfa S, Collet L. (1996). Functional asymmetry of medial olivocochlear system in humans. Towards a peripheral lateralization. Neuroreport 7:993–996.
  • Khalfa S, Morlet T, Micheyl C, Morgon A, Collet L. (1997). Evidence of peripheral hearing asymmetry in humans: clinical implications. Acta Otolaryngol (Stockh) 117:192–196.
  • Khalfa S, Micheyl E, Veuillet E, Collet L. (1998). Peripheral auditory lateralization assessment using TEOAEs. Hear Res 121:29–34.
  • Kimura D. (1967). Functional asymmetry of the brain in dichotic listening. Cortex 3:163–178.
  • Kulawiec JT, Orlando MS. (1995). The contribution of spontaneous otoacoustic emissions to the click evoked otoacoustic emissions. Ear Hear 16:515–520.
  • Levine RA, Liederman J, Riley P. (1988). The brainstem auditory evoked asymmetry is replicable and reliable. Neuropsychologia 26:603–614.
  • Lonsbury-Martin BL, Harris FP, Stagner BB, Hawkins MD, Martin GK. (1990). Distortion product emissions in humans I. Basic properties in normally hearing subjects. Ann Otol Rhinal Laryngol 147:3—14.
  • Lonsbury-Martin BL, Martin GK, Whitehead ML. (1997). Distortion product otoacoustic emissions. In: Robinette M, Glattke T, eds. Otoacoustic Emissions: Clinical Applications. New York: Thieme, 83–109.
  • Maison S, Micheyl C, Collet L. (1997). Medial olivocochlear efferent system in humans studied with amplitude- modulated tones. J Neurophysiol 77:1759–1768.
  • McFadden D. (1993 ). A speculation about the parallel ear asymmetries and sex differences in hearing sensitivity and otoacoustic emissions. Hear Res 68:143–151.
  • Morlet T, Collet L, Salle B, Morgon A. (1993). Functional maturation of cochlear active mechanisms and of the medial olivocochlear system in humans. Acta Otolaryngol (Stockh) 113:271–277.
  • Moulin A, Collet L, Veuillet E, Morgon A. (1993). Interrelations between transiently evoked otoacoustic emissions, spontaneous otoacoustic emissions and acoustic distortion products otoacoustic emissions in normally hearing subjects. Hear Res 65:216–233.
  • Newmark M, Merlob P, Bresloff I, Olsha M, Attias J. (1997). Click evoked otoacoustic emissions and gender differences in new-borns. J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol 8:133–139.
  • Nozza RJ, Sabo DL, Mandel EM. (1997). A role for otoacoustic emissions in screening for hearing impairment and middle ear disorders in school-aged children. Ear Hear 13:53—66.
  • Owens JJ, McCoy MJ, Lonsbury-Martin BL, Martin GK. (1993). Otoacoustic emissions in children with normal ears, middle ear dysfunction, and ventilating tubes. Am J Otol 14:34–40.
  • Peters M. (1995). Handedness and its relation to other indices of cerebral lateralization. In: Davidson RJ, Hugdahl K, eds. Brain Asymmetry. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 183.
  • Peters M. (1988). Footedness: asymmetries in foot preference and skill and neuropsychological assessment of foot movement. Psychol Bull 103:179–192.
  • Pirila T, Jounio-Ervasti K, Sorri M. (1991). Hearing asymmetry among left-handed and right handed persons in a random population. Scand Audiol 20:223–226.
  • Porac C, Coren S. (1976). The dominant eye. Psychol Bull 83:880–897.
  • Previc FH. (1991). A general theory concerning the prenatal origins of cerebral lateralization in humans. Psychol Rev 98:299–334.
  • Searleman A. (1980). Subject variables and cerebral organization for language. Cortex 16:239–254.
  • Stover L, Gorga MP, Neely ST, Motoya D. (1996). Toward optimizing the clinical utility of distortion product otoacoustic emission measurements. J Acoust Soc Am 100:956–967.
  • Whitehead M, Stagner B, McCoy M, Lonsbury-Martin B, Martin G. (1995). Dependence of distortion-product otoacoustic emissions on primary levels in normal and impaired ears. II: Asymmetry in the LI, L2 space. JAcoust Soc Am 97:2359–2377.