ASSESSMENT OF OLIVOCOCHLEAR BUNDLE BY CONTRALATERAL SUPPRESSION OF OTOACOUSTIC EMISSIONS IN CHILDREN WITH INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES MELLITU.

Abstract

Transient Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions (TEOAEs) are low intensity, acoustic energy produced by the cochlea and recorded in the ear canal as a result of brief acoustic stimulation (Probst et al., 1991) .The clinical significance ofTEOAEs has been based on the possibility of allowing detailed mechanical aspects of cochlear function to be studied in a non-invasive and objective manner (Driscol et al., 1999). Collet et al. (1993) stated that associating OAEs with

contralateral stimuli is able to explore the neurosensory pathway involving the medial efferent system. Abdel-Salam et a/. (1999) reported that children with Central Auditory Processing Deficits (CAPD) had limited suppression of TEOAEs with contralateral acoustic stimulation, and that CAPD could be related to dysfunction of OCB or efferent system. Therefore, contralateral suppression of TEOAEs is proposed to be an objective tool to diagnose central auditory processing abilities in young children whom can not be tested with psychophysical test battery. Seidl et al. (1996) reported subclinical central nervous system involvement in IDDM. Since OCB is part of central auditory nervous system, therefore diseases, which are known to affect central nervous system such as diabetes mellitus, could also affect OCB.