Otoacoustic emission (OAE) is one of the newest audiological techniques which reflects rather precisely micromechanical processes in the cochlea associated with motility of the outer hair cells. In this study the authors performed a comparative investigation of the cochlea using distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) in input-output function in different investigated groups. The influence of middle level noise exposure, long term musical training and age on the micromechanics of the cochlea were analyzed. To record DPOAE (f3=2f1-f2) we used two signals, f1 and f2 (f2>f1), the ratio f2/f1 being 1.22; the intensity of the signals were L1=L2 dB SPL, signal intensities decreased every 5 dB SPL ranging from 70 dB SPL to 35 dB SPL for f2=1.0kHz, 2.0 kHz, 3.0kHz, 4.0kHz, 5.0 kHz and 6.0kHz frequencies. Analyzing these results we concluded that long term musical training does not impaire the cochlea, noise exposure is the reason of cochlear impairment even if exposure time is rather brief (2-4 years).

Keywords: presbyacousis, musical training, noise exposure, otoacoustic emissions