Purpose: This study was to determine effects of three stimulus frequencies on tympanometry and to compare with Distortion Produtct Otoacoustic Emission (DPOAE) for regular and special school-age children. Methods: A total number of 182 school-age children, 152 recruited from regular elementary school and 30 from special school, participated. All participants were evaluated by tympanogram and DPOAE. Tympanograms were tested by 226, 678, and 1,000 Hz and analyzed with static compliance (SC) and earcanal volume (EV). Results: Depending on three stimulus frequencies, SCs and EVs were 0.49, 1.45, and 1.26 ml and 0.92, 2.98, 4.52 cm 3 in regular school-age group and 0.56, 1.58, 1.29 ml and 0.98, 3.0, 4.48 cm 3 in special school-age group. There were statistical significant differences among three frequencies but no difference between regular and special school-age groups for both SCs and EVs (p < 0.05). The pass and fail rate of DPOAE was 87.2% and 12.8% for regular school-age group and 57.6% and 42.4% for special school-age group, showing a statistical significant difference between groups (p < 0.05). Agreement rate between tympanograms and DPOAE results was the highest in 678 Hz. Conclusion: While there was no difference in middle ear status between groups, DPOAE results referred that the inner ear status could be poor for the special school-age group. Therefore, more interests of hearing status should be aroused to the special school-age children. Additionally, the 678 Hz seems to be more useful for screening school-age children. Further, more data with pure tone examination be supplemented for the certain conclusion.

This paper reviewed the tinnitus associations in the U.S.A., Australia, United Kingdom, European Federation, and one tinnitus research initiative. The American Tinnitus Association (ATA), which was the first tinnitus association in the world established in 1971, has pursued to find a cure for tinnitus and funded vital tinnitus research. The ATA provides informational brochures. The British Tinnitus Association (BTA) aims to support tinnitus patients and to seek effective management of tinnitus. The BTA offers several education programs for clinicians dealing with tinnitus patients in addition to fund tinnitus research. Moreover, the BTA offers direct counsel to tinnitus patients on the phone, and publishes twenty one of informal leaflets. In Australia, two of four tinnitus associations were reviewed; The Australian Tinnitus Association (ATA, Australia TA) and Tinnitus South Association (Tinnitus SA). The Australia TA provides the information about tinnitus, supports tinnitus patients, publishes a tinnitus magazine, and informs people tinnitus treatments through their home page. The Tinnitus SA was established by support of government of South Australia on the purpose of informing people about tinnitus. The Tinnitus SA provides an on-line tinnitus questionnaire, and off-line counselling for patients. The European Federation of Tinnitus Association (EUTI) was recently formed by tinnitus associations from 18 countries within Europe in order to cooperate to help patients. The Tinnitus Research Initiative (TRI) has been established by some research institutes in several countries in order to perform cooperative research and share the results. However, in Korea, there is no tinnitus association except one formed by Korean veteran, which has no information about tinnitus. Considering increasing number of tinnitus patients in Korea, the tinnitus association for helping patients and leading research should be formed in the near future.