Distortion product otoacoustic emissions: A time domain analysis

Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) provide relatively easily accessible external information about internal properties of the inner ear. A primary result is that the detection of normal DPOAE components is a strong indicator of normal functioning of the cochlear mechanics. The details of amplitude and phase behavior of the DPOAEs, and the development over time (DPOAE delay) are not fully understood and subject of some debate. In this paper, I would like to emphasize the view that precise time domain experiments and time domain model analysis provide a superb tool, the power of which is generally underestimated. Results are presented from a model analysis in which the primary-tone phase variation technique introduced by Whitehead et al. was employed successfully. Copyright (c) 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel.