The Effects of Aging and Gender on Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions

정상청력인에서 나이와 성별에 따른 DPOAE의 특성

The primary goal of the present study was to explore more detailed evidence for the influence of aging and gender effects on the capability of Korean healthy, ears to generate DPOAEs. DPOAEs were examined in series of human subjects, with clinically nonnal hearing, ranging in age from 10 to 65 years. All 60 Koreans were divided into 6 age groups. Each age group included 10 participants, 5 females and 5 males. The gender effects on the difference between the absolute amplitude and noise floor value in DPOAEs did not exist. The difference increased as the frequency increased. The aging effects on the difference between the absolute amplitude and noise floor value in DPOAEs did exist. The difference increased as the frequency increased but orderly age effects could not be found. The principle finding was that, when compared between emissions in young and old ears, DPOAEs accurately tracked the systematic deterioration of high-frequency hearing in aging individuals. Such results support the need to reestablish the criterion for interpretation of DPOAEs in the elderly.