How overstimulation damages hearing nerve connections in the inner ear
Excitability and Excitotoxicity in Type-I Cochlear Afferents: Synapse Structure and Function
This work looks at proteins on inner-ear nerve endings to understand why they become damaged by loud sound and how that could affect people with noise-related or age-related hearing loss.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11296897 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From your perspective, researchers use mouse models to mimic how hearing nerve connections are damaged and record electrical signals from the auditory nerve in both live and dissected cochleas. They analyze the protein makeup of the AMPA-type receptors at each synapse to see which subunits and helper proteins are present. They also use high-resolution imaging to look at the tiny synapse structures and proteomics to identify molecular differences. Together these approaches link receptor composition to nerve vulnerability and loss of synapses.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with noise-induced hearing difficulties or age-related hearing decline, especially those interested in research or future treatments targeting nerve synapses, would be the most relevant patient group.
Not a fit: Patients whose hearing loss is due to mechanical middle-ear problems or to genetic conditions that do not involve synaptic excitotoxicity may not benefit directly from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to ways to protect or repair the tiny nerve connections that are lost in some forms of hearing loss.
How similar studies have performed: Animal studies have previously shown synapse loss from excitotoxicity and some protective strategies, but detailed work on the exact AMPA receptor subunit roles in the cochlea is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Saint Louis, United States
- Washington University — Saint Louis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rutherford, Mark Allen — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Rutherford, Mark Allen
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.