Multivariate DPOAE metrics for identifying changes in hearing: Perspectives from ototoxicity monitoring

Abstract

Distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) provide a window into real-time cochlear mechanical function. Yet, relationships between the changes in DPOAE metrics and auditory sensitivity are still poorly understood. Explicating these relationships might support the use of DPOAEs in hearing conservation programs (HCPs) for detecting early damage leading to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) so that mitigating steps might be taken to limit any lasting damage. This report describes the development of DPOAE-based statistical models to assess the risk of hearing loss from cisplatin treatment among cancer patients. Ototoxicity risk assessment (ORA) models were constructed using a machine learning paradigm in which partial least squares and leave-one-out cross-validation were applied, yielding optimal screening algorithms from a set of known risk factors for ototoxicity and DPOAE changes from pre-exposure baseline measures. Single DPOAE metrics alone were poorer indicators of the risk of ototoxic hearing shifts than the best performing multivariate models. This finding suggests that multivariate approaches applied to the use of DPOAEs in a HCP, will improve the ability of DPOAE measures to identify ears with noise-induced mechanical damage and/or hearing loss at each monitoring interval. This prediction must be empirically assessed in noise-exposed subjects.

Key Words::

• Otoacoustic emission
• noise-induced hearing loss
• ototoxicity monitoring

Acknowledgements

We thank Colleen Le Prell, Lynne Marshall, and an anonymous reviewer for their comments on an earlier version of this manuscript. Work was supported by the National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research, and the Office of Rehabilitation Research and Development Service, Department of Veterans Affairs (Grants awarded to the first and last authors, C2113R, C7223R, and C7113N). This work was presented at the National Hearing Conservation Association 2011 Annual Conference in Mesa, USA.

Author contribution: D.K.-M. designed the experiment, analysed the data, and wrote the paper; K.M.R. collected the data, analysed the data, and wrote the paper; G.M. analysed the data and wrote the paper; M.D. designed the experiment, collected the data, and wrote the paper.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.