Prevalence of spontaneous otoacoustic emissions in adults revisited.

The potential influence of spectral analysis factors on estimates of the prevalence of spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAE) was explored. The detection of a SOAE was influenced by two spectral factors: (1) the frequency resolution of the spectrum, and (2) the number of spectral averages. For 15 different combinations of these two factors, the estimate of the prevalence of SOAEs for females ranged from 64 to 81% and, for males, from 39 to 55%. Combining across all 15 combinations, 83% of the females and 62% of the males were judged to have SOAEs. These results provide a context for understanding the inconsistencies in previous estimates of the prevalence of SOAEs and underscore the need to employ many different spectral analyses because some SOAEs are only detected when the spectral analyses are suitably tailored.