Compression estimates using behavioral and otoacoustic emission measures

Cochlear compression in normal-hearing listeners was estimated at octave frequencies from 250 to 4000 Hz using a forward-masking paradigm. Temporal masking curves (TMCs) for a 10-dB SL signal were obtained with two maskers - one equal in frequency to the signal and another an octave below the signal. The ratio of the slope of the off-frequency function to that of the mid-level portion of the on-frequency function was computed as an estimate of the amount of compression at each frequency. Compression was less frequency selective at low frequencies, so an average of the off-frequency slopes at high frequencies (1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz) was used in computing the ratio for each signal frequency. Results indicated strong compression (∼0.15-0.30) at all frequencies using the averaged off-frequency slopes, indicating little difference in compression across frequencies. Distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) input-output (I-O) functions were obtained for each subject at 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz. The slopes of the DPOAE I-O functions and the psychophysical growth rates were similar to one another, reinforcing the assumption that the forward-masking procedure is providing an estimate of cochlear compression, at least at frequencies from 1000 to 4000 Hz.