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Loss, Degeneration, and Preservation of the Spiral Ganglion Neurons and Their Processes

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The Primary Auditory Neurons of the Mammalian Cochlea

Part of the book series: Springer Handbook of Auditory Research ((SHAR,volume 52))

Abstract

To maintain normal function, spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) and their associated components require a healthy cochlear microenvironment including numerous molecular and cellular elements. This chapter reviews our current understanding of SGN loss and dysfunction with an emphasis on recent studies of primary degeneration of ganglion neurons and age-related auditory nerve loss and dysfunction. Results from animal models of the SGN degeneration and a discussion of possible approaches that could lead to the preservation of these neurons in vivo are given in this chapter. The complex interactions between SGNs and the cochlear microenvironment are important areas for future exploration to better understand the mechanisms of SGN degeneration and dysfunction.

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Acknowledgments

I thank Richard Schmiedt for his encouragement and invaluable suggestions on the scope of the chapter. Many others, Judy Dubno, Jayne Ahlstrom, Emily Franko-Tobin, Kenyaria Noble, Edward Krug, Rhett Chaplin, and the editors of the SHAR series, shared their expertise and provided constructive criticism during the preparation of the text. This work supported by grants NIH grants R01 DC012058 and P50 DC00422.

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  1. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 165 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA

    Hainan Lang

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  1. Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Alain Dabdoub

  2. Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA

    Bernd Fritzsch

  3. Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA

    Arthur N. Popper

  4. Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA

    Richard R. Fay

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Lang, H. (2016). Loss, Degeneration, and Preservation of the Spiral Ganglion Neurons and Their Processes. In: Dabdoub, A., Fritzsch, B., Popper, A., Fay, R. (eds) The Primary Auditory Neurons of the Mammalian Cochlea. Springer Handbook of Auditory Research, vol 52. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-3031-9_8

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