Fine structures in hearing thresholds and distortion product otoacoustic emissions

Otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) are weak sounds that can be recorded in the external ear. They are generated by the active amplification of the outer hair cells, and are by many believed to reflect the status of the most vulnerable part of the hearing better than ordinary behavioral thresholds. Distortion product OAEs (DPOAES) are generated in response to a two-tone external stimulus with frequencies f1 and f2. One of the strongest DPOAEs is the component at 2f1-f2. This component is elicited on the basilar membrane in the overlap region of the f1 and f2, close to the f2 place (depending on frequency ratio and levels of the two tone stimulus). The 2f1-f2 component travels along the basilar membrane and excites activity at the 2f1-f2 place, which yields a second component with the same frequency. The resulting sound that can be recorded in the external ear canal is the superposition of these two components. The result is characterized by a distinct fine structure pattern, and generally doesn't directly reflect the status of the hearing at one point on the basilar membrane. The behavioral threshold, on the other hand, is more directly related to given points along the basilar membrane, but reflects the combined status of outer and inner hair cells. Thus the combination of DPOAE measurements and hearing thresholds has the potential to  provide better basis for hearing diagnosis. In the present study, both DPOAE measurements and hearing thresholds are determined with a fine frequency resolution. The results are compared and similarities and differences discussed.