An
otoacoustic emission (OAE) is a
sound which is generated from within the
inner ear. Having been predicted by
Thomas Gold in 1948, its existence was first demonstrated experimentally by
David Kemp in 1978 and otoacoustic emissions have since been shown to arise through a number of different cellular and mechanical causes within the
inner ear. Studies have shown that OAEs disappear after the inner ear has been damaged, so OAEs are often used in the laboratory and the clinic as a measure of inner ear health.