Otoacoustic Emissions
Pronunciation: oh-toh-ak-OO-stik
Also written as: OAE — Otoacoustic Emissions
Low-level sounds generated by the outer hair cells of the cochlea, either spontaneously or in response to an acoustic stimulus, used as an objective measure of cochlear function.
Full Definition
Otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) are produced by the active mechanical processes of the outer hair cells in the cochlea and can be recorded in the ear canal using a sensitive microphone. They are absent or reduced in cochleae with outer hair cell damage. The two most clinically common types are transient-evoked OAEs (TEOAEs) and distortion-product OAEs (DPOAEs). OAEs are widely used in neonatal hearing screening programs and in differential diagnosis of auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder. Editors must correctly render the plural form ('emissions', not 'emission') and distinguish between the two subtypes when both are discussed.
Usage
Usage note: Distinguish between TEOAEs (transient-evoked) and DPOAEs (distortion-product) in any document describing the methodology used.
In Context
- "Absent otoacoustic emissions bilaterally in a neonate triggered referral for diagnostic auditory brainstem response testing." — Neonatal hearing screening report
- "The manuscript referred to 'otoacoustic emission' (singular) throughout; the editor standardized this to the plural 'emissions'." — Journal manuscript editing