Multifrequency normative values in normal hearing adults

Multifrequency tympanometry is an advantageous test method which can assess the resistance and permeability of the middle ear in a wide frequency internal by providing the analysis of the tympanograms which are obtained with different probe tones between 226 Hz and 2000 Hz. It submits some parameters which evaluate the middle ear admittance and features by separation. One of the important parameters of Multifrequency tympanometry is the resonant frequency. Under the presence of some specific pathologies; resonant frequency value is normal and gets lower or higher values when compared to the healthy ears. Although it is an advantageous test, it is a fact known by several investigators that Multifrequency tympanometry has not become widespread in clinical applications in our country as the world. The reason of not having the Multifrequency tympanometry become widespread is that there have been no sufficient data yet. As known, middle and external ear structures vary according to the age and genetic properties. Such kinds of variables reflect on the tympanograms as different values. Thus some studies are performed by lots of investigators in order to obtain normative values in the Multifrequency tympanometry. The data to be obtained at the end of our study is aimed to show the normative values of our clinic in order to decide the tympanum pathologies and to have its use become widespread by providing a criterion for the resonant frequency measurement which is unfortunately not popularized.For this reason, middle ear resonant frequencies of 60 volunteers (120 ears) are measured who are between the ages 21 and 46, without having any hearing loss and have a normal autoscopic examination at the Otorhinolaryngology Department and Audiology and Speech Disorders Unit of Baskent University. The average of the RF values taken from both ears (120 ears) of all the participants is determined as 999.6 Hz (Standard Deviation 134.9), the average of the values obtained from their right ears is determined as 1020.8 (standard deviation 140.6), and their left ear average was found as 978.3 Hz (standard deviation 180.5). In order to decide the middle ear pathologies of these data, it is aimed to have our clinic show normative values and thus to generalize the usage of resonant frequency by providing a scale in the application which is unfortunately not popularized today. Also we hope that the resonance frequency value which is one of the important parameters of Multifrequency tympanometry will be an infrastructure for the studies which will investigate the effects of this value on the diagnosis of the pathologies.