Table of Contents

ABSTRACT

When noise is given to the contralateral ear, transient evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAE) amplitudes will decrease, implying an intact function of medial olivocochlear (MOC) bundles. This efferent auditory system is believed to play some role in speech perception in noisy environments. Many studies have been carried out to determine the properties and diagnostic usefulness of the TEOAE suppression technique. In this paper, the fundamental aspects of the MOC pathway are reviewed as intended. Important factors that will influence the suppression effect of TEOAE are highlighted accordingly. Essentially, the performance of the TEOAE suppression test in identifying various medical conditions is also discussed. Despite its diagnostic usefulness, it appears that this objective test may not be suitable for clinical use just yet. As such, there are many aspects of the contralateral suppression effect of TEOAE that require further research. Among others, more research efforts are warranted to verify the reliability of this test utilizing larger samples and when activated contralaterally by noise at different intensity levels.

Keywords: Cochlear, outer hair cells, otoacoustic emission, noise, auditory, efferent