Transient-evoked otoacoustic emission suppression tuning curves in human adults and infants

Abstract

Suppression tuning curves (STCs) were obtained for transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) from infants 1-to-3 months of age and from normal-hearing young adults. TEOAEs were elicited by tone-pip probes at frequencies ranging from 1000 to 4000 Hz. Suppressors were pure tones presented simultaneously with the probes. STCs, based on a criterion suppression of 6 dB, were constructed using from four to seven suppressor frequencies per probe, depending on how long the infant remained quiet. Suppressor frequencies ranged from one octave below, to one-half octave above, the probe frequency. In agreement with previous studies on OAE suppression, tuning curve tips were usually at frequencies from one-eighth to one-quarter octave above the probe frequency. Overall STC shapes, Q10’s, and upper and lower slopes were similar in infants and adults at all probe frequencies. In general, STCs were similar to ABR tuning curves obtained from infants and adults, but broader than adult (nonsimultaneous) psychophysical tuning curves which have been reported in the literature. [Work supported by NIDCD.]