Otoacoustic emissions, their origin in cochlear function, and use.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review without systematic search methods or primary empirical data
PubMed 12324396 · doi:10.1093/bmb/63.1.223
What was done
This is a narrative review describing the physiological origins and clinical utility of otoacoustic emissions (OAEs). The paper outlines the underlying cochlear mechanisms—specifically sensory hair cell motion responding to sound—and summarizes clinical and research applications, including newborn hearing screening, differential diagnosis, treatment monitoring, and audiological management.
What was found
The abstract provides a conceptual overview and reports no empirical data, sample sizes, or quantitative outcome measures. It describes OAEs as non-invasive, objective indicators of normal cochlear function useful across multiple clinical and investigative audiology settings.
Why it matters
It offers a foundational primer on how outer hair cell mechanics generate recordable acoustic signals and how these signals serve as practical screening and diagnostic markers.
Limits
This is a non-systematic narrative review providing general background rather than primary experimental data or statistical synthesis. Specific test performance metrics (such as sensitivity and specificity across populations) are not reported in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports Otoacoustic emissions are sounds generated within the ear that can be measured using a microphone in the ear canal.