Effectiveness of transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) in predicting hearing level.

The purpose of the present investigation was to (1) determine the short-term test-retest reliability of the transient-evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAE) parameters of echo level and reproducibility, as produced by the Otodynamic's ILO88 system; and (2) assess the ability of the ILO88 parameters of frequency spectrum, echo level, and reproducibility to identify ears with sensorineural hearing loss. Our results show that the short-term test-retest reliability for both echo level and reproducibility is excellent, reflecting the stability of TEOAEs and the low measurement error associated with the procedure for obtaining TEOAEs. The data suggest, however, that frequency-specific hearing levels (HLs) cannot be accurately predicted from the analogous frequencies depicted in the frequency spectrum produced by the ILO88 system. Although frequency-specific HLs cannot be predicted from the frequency spectrum, the parameters of echo level and reproducibility will clearly separate individuals with HLs < or = 20 dB from individual with HLs > 20 dB for the octave frequencies of 500-4000 Hz. An echo level of < 6 dB and/or a reproducibility value of < 70 percent are associated with HLs > 20 dB between 500 and 4000 Hz. The combination criterion of an echo level of < 6 dB and a reproducibility value of < 70 percent appears to be a suitable screening method for identifying adult ears with an average HL of > 20 dB.