Synaptopathy in the noise-exposed and aging cochlea: Primary neural degeneration in acquired sensorineural hearing loss
SG Kujawa, MC Liberman - Hearing research, 2015 - Elsevier
The classic view of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is that the “primary” targets are hair
cells, and that cochlear-nerve loss is “secondary” to hair cell degeneration. Our recent work
in mouse and guinea pig has challenged that view. In noise-induced hearing loss,
exposures causing only reversible threshold shifts (and no hair cell loss) nevertheless cause
permanent loss of> 50% of cochlear-nerve/hair-cell synapses. Similarly, in age-related
hearing loss, degeneration of cochlear synapses precedes both hair cell loss and threshold …
cells, and that cochlear-nerve loss is “secondary” to hair cell degeneration. Our recent work
in mouse and guinea pig has challenged that view. In noise-induced hearing loss,
exposures causing only reversible threshold shifts (and no hair cell loss) nevertheless cause
permanent loss of> 50% of cochlear-nerve/hair-cell synapses. Similarly, in age-related
hearing loss, degeneration of cochlear synapses precedes both hair cell loss and threshold …
