Frequency-change in DPOAE evoked by 1 s/octave sweeping primaries in newborns and adults

Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) in newborns and adults were evoked by sweeping primaries up and down in frequency at 1 s/octave. Sweeping up and down in frequency resulted in changes in the amplitude vs. frequency functions of the composite DPOAE and its two major components. In addition, DPOAE component phases differed slightly between the up- and down-swept conditions. The changes in amplitude vs. frequency functions were quantified using a covariate correlation technique, yielding single-valued estimates of the magnitude of the frequency changes. Separate analyses were performed for the entire DPOAE frequency range and split into low and high frequency ranges. There were consistent changes in newborn and adult composite DPOAEs and reflection components, but not generator components. Adults had significant frequency changes in the composite DPOAE for all frequency ranges and in the reflection component for the entire frequency range. Newborns had significant frequency change in the reflection component for all frequency ranges. Differences in frequency change between adults and newborns may stem from developmental changes in cochlear processing. Alignment of the component phase differences between the up- and down-swept conditions resulted in elimination of frequency-change in reconstructed composite DPOAEs.