Test-retest variability in transient evoked otoacoustic emissions obtained from special care nursery neonates

Abstract

The present investigation considers the test-retest variability of transient evoked otoacoustic emissions measured in a group of special care neonates. Otoacoustic emission recordings, using the ILO88 QuickScreen program, were made in one ear of 53 neonates. A second recording was then carried out immediately after the first test. All neonates were found to have normal auditory brainstem evoked response results for the test ear. Transient otoacoustic emissions from the two tests were compared. It was found that for a number of otoacoustic emission parameters test-retest variability was high and only four test-retest measures gave high levels of correlation. These were emission response in dB, whole wave reproducibility, signal to noise ratio at 4 kHz and A and B waveform mean. Low levels of test-retest correlation were found for reproducibility and signal to noise ratio at 1.6, 2.4 and 3.2 kHz frequency bands and for A-B waveform difference. It was concluded that consideration needs to be given to the test-retest variability inherent in current methods of transient otoacoustic emission recording in the special care nursery neonatal population.