Studying of Distortion Product of Otoacoustic Emissions in Menopausal Women.

Abstract

The sex hormones; estrogen and progesterone have a direct effect on the mechanisms of the inner cochlea and they control the functions of the ascending auditory pathway from the auditory nerve to the cerebral cortex. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the amplitude of distortion product of otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) in postmenopausal women. This cross-sectional case-control study included 60 women who were naturally menopausal and were in the age range of 55 - 45 years (case group). The other 60 included women of the same age and non-menopause (control group). Both groups were selected from individuals who had normal auditory function based on pure tone audiometry, immitance audiometry (tympanometry + ipsilateral and contralateral reflex), speech tests and auditory brainstem responses. Then both groups were evaluated by DPOAE and its findings were analyzed in two groups based on independent t-test and the significance level of the test was determined to be less than 0.05. The difference between the mean DPOAE domains in the two groups was not significant (P-value = 0.484). Menopause is not an etiological factor to be created of abnormalities in the cochlea of ​​the inner ear. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12070-022-03210-1.