Editing Cochlea (section)

===Otoacoustic emissions===

[[Otoacoustic emission]]s are due to a wave exiting the cochlea via the oval window, and propagating back through the middle ear to the eardrum, and out the ear canal, where it can be picked up by a microphone.  Otoacoustic emissions are important in some types of tests for [[hearing impairment]], since they are present when the cochlea is working well, and less so when it is suffering from loss of OHC activity. Otoacoustic emissions also exhibit sex dimorphisms, since females tend to display higher magnitudes of otoacoustic emissions. Males tend to experience a reduction in otoacoustic emission magnitudes as they age. Women, on the other hand, do not experience a change in otoacoustic emission magnitudes with age.<ref>Mishra, Srikanta K.1,2; Zambrano, Samantha2,3; Rodrigo, Hansapani4. Sexual Dimorphism in the Functional Development of the Cochlear Amplifier in Humans. Ear and Hearing 42(4):p 860-869, July/August 2021. | DOI: 10.1097/AUD.0000000000000976</ref>