[Oto-acoustic emissions. I. Evoked oto-emissions: a new technic of functional study of the cochlea].

Otoacoustic emissions (OAE) are sounds emitted by the cochlea and recordable in the external ear canal by a miniature microphone. These OAE reflect the existence of an active mechanism within the cochlea, probably based upon outer hair cells (OHC). Recordings of OAE are easy, noninvasive, objective and permit the exploration of an essential property of the cochlea which was impossible to study by the usual electrophysiological techniques. Clinical applications are discussed in this paper.