Effects of loud noise on the efferent system of the inner ear

GÓMEZ CASATI, ME

Herradura

Congreso; Pew Latin American Fellows meeting; 2014

Pew Latin American Fellows Program in Biomedical Sciences

Hearing disorders are truly a social menace. Hearing loss affects about 10% of the overall population and 42% of the population above 75 years of age. Such impairment is usually permanent and result from a variety of causes, including genetic predisposition, loud sounds, aging, antibiotics, chemotherapeutic agents, and infections. What is common to these varied causes is that they damage or destroy sensory cells, auditory neurons, and other specialized cells in the inner ear. Our project intends to address the issue of noise-induced and age-related hearing loss interactions and the role of the efferent system in these pathophysiological processes.