Otoacoustic emissions in young adults : effects of blood group

Abstract

Previous research findings suggested that individuals with different blood groups have varied haematological risk factors for noise-induced hearing loss. The present study investigated the effects of blood group on otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) as OAEs are indicative of cochlear function. A total of 60 normal hearing females aged between 18 to 26 years were included in the study. Measurements of spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAEs), transient-evoked emissions (TEOAEs) and distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) of both ears were taken for all of the participants belonging to different blood groups. Participants with blood group O had significantly fewer occurrences of SOAEs and lower DPOAE amplitudes at certain frequencies compared to participants with blood group B. These findings were partially consistent with the hypothesis that individuals with different blood groups may have different OAE amplitude values. The results highlight the need for further investigation on the effects of blood group on OAEs in future studies that involve larger participant sample sizes.