Development of Human Cochlear Function

Abstract: The time course for finctional development of the human cochlea is not clear. The advent of otoacoustic emissions (0~) methodology has made it possible to non-invasively probe coehlear function in humans. Distortion product OAE is~suppression tuning curves indirwtiy reflect coe~ear frequency resolution and have been generated in adults and neonates to investigate the development of cochlcar tuning in humans, Results suggest that the human coc~ea is resolving frequency in an adult-like fashion by term birth (1). Other studies probing human coehlear function dso support this contention (2, 3, 4). However, recent results suggest tiat subtle aspects of cochlear frquency resolution as well as olivo-cochlear function are not fuUy mature in premture human neonates (5, 6).