Abstract
Cochlear activity is regulated by the olivo-cochlear bundle, which originates from the brainstem and projects onto the hair cells and auditory nerve fibers. Two efferent components can be distinguished: the medial and lateral olivo-cochlear efferent originating from the medial, and the lateral nuclei of the superior olivary complex. The input of the efferent systems on hair cells occurs during development and persists in the adult cochlea. Recent studies have shown that the efferent innervations are required to set the activity pattern in developing hair cells and auditory nerve fibers and to protect the synaptic structures in adult cochlea. In addition, efferent innervations undergo plasticity during pathological conditions such as noise-trauma or aging. This review discusses the mechanisms underlying the control of the hair cells and afferent fibers excitability by efferent neurons and their putative role in developing adult and pathological conditions.
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Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge Jérôme Bourien, Jing Wang, Jérôme Ruel and Marc Lenoir for collaborative work on experimental protocols. Part of the work on acoustic trauma is supported by the association “Gueules Cassées”. We would like to thank Dr. A. Woehler for constructive comments on the manuscript. This work has been supported by the Inserm and the Agence Nationale pour la Recherche (ANR-13-JSV1-0009-01).
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Nouvian, R., Eybalin, M. & Puel, JL. Cochlear efferents in developing adult and pathological conditions. Cell Tissue Res 361, 301–309 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-015-2158-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-015-2158-z