Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emission (DPOAE) as an Appropriate Tool in Assessment of Otoprotective Effects of Antioxidants in Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL)

Distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) appears to be an objective sensitive test of cochlear function. The aim of this study was to investigate whether DPOAE is an appropriate tool for assessment of minute changes in cochlea due to usage of antioxidant material. 48 workers exposed to continuous noise in a textile factory were randomly assigned into three groups: (1) The Control group (n = 16) received no antioxidant drugs, (2) The N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) group (n = 16) received oral antioxidant NAC (1200 mg/day), (3) The Ginseng group (n = 16) received oral antioxidant Ginseng (200 mg/day). All three groups had a follow-up period of 2 weeks. The cochlear changes were assessed using DPOAE test before starting the daily work shift on first and 15th day. The associations between groups and DPOAE amplitudes after 2 weeks were analyzed using linear regression analysis. Four separate models were fitted by side of ears and frequency. All models were adjusted for baseline amplitude. Reduced (better) amplitude at DPOAE test was found for NAC and Ginseng groups at high frequencies (4 and 6 kHz) in both ears after 2 weeks compared to control group. Moreover, NAC group showed better DPOAE amplitude than Ginseng group. In conclusion, DPOAE seems to be an appropriate tool in assessing minute changes in the cochlea after antioxidant drugs administration.