Otoacoustic
emissions (OAE) are sounds that are produced
by healthy ears in response to acoustic stimulation
or occurs spontaneously. They are considered
to be epiphenomenona, and by-products of the
activity of the outer hair cells in the cochlea.
Otoacoustic emissions were first reported by
Kemp in 1978 . Although his
observations were greeted with skepticism, OAEs
have since been reliably confirmed. They appear
to be generated by motile elements in the cochlear
outer hair cells. Oto acoustic emissions are
widely used for newborn hearing screening and
for identifying the site of lesion in hearing
disorders.