J Audiol Otol.  2018 Oct;22(4):189-196. 10.7874/jao.2018.00038.

Short Term Test-Retest Reliability of Contralateral Inhibition of Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions

• Kalaiah MK
• Lasrado A
• Pinto N
• Shastri U

• KMID: 2428986
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.7874/jao.2018.00038

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Strength of medial olivocochlear reflex can be measured reliably using contralateral inhibition of distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) when its fine structure is considered. However, measurement of fine structure of DPOAE is difficult with clinical equipment. Thus, this study investigated the clinically relevant test-retest reliability of contralateral inhibition of DPOAEs.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS
Twenty-six young adults with normal hearing sensitivity participated. DPOAEs were recorded at 27 discrete f2 frequencies between 800 Hz and 8,000 Hz at frequency resolution of 8 points per octave with and without contralateral white noise presented at 50 dB SPL. To check for short term inter-session reliability, contralateral inhibition of DPOAEs were recorded in three sessions, two recording sessions on first day separated by 30 minutes and third time after one week of the first session. Within each session, DPOAEs were recorded twice in single probe-fit condition to test for intra-session reliability.
RESULTS
Cronbach's alpha was calculated having poor reliability (α≤ 0.7) of contralateral inhibition of DPOAEs in both intra-session and inter-session conditions for most of the tested frequencies. 95% confidence intervals of contralateral inhibition magnitude also showed large variability.
CONCLUSIONS
The current results showed that though DPOAE amplitudes were highly reliable across sessions, amount of inhibition of DPOAEs was not reliable when DPOAEs were measured at discrete frequencies. These findings are concurrent with the literature.

Keyword

MOC reflex; Test-retest reliability; Contralateral inhibition of DPOAEs; Repeatability of MOC reflex; Efferent auditory pathway; Descending auditory pathway

MeSH Terms

Hearing
Humans
Noise
Reflex
Reproducibility of Results*
Young Adult