Noninvasive Targeted Temperature Management of the Inner Ear: Numerical Simulations and Experimental Measurements in a Human Cadaver Model.

Hypothesis: Mild therapeutic hypothermia (MTH) could be delivered to the human inner ear using a localized, noninvasive approach to achieve protective temperature reductions without systemic side effects.

Background: MTH has demonstrated protective effects in the cochlea following injuries such as device implantation, ototoxicity, and noise overexposure. It targets key cellular mechanisms, including proinflammatory pathways, oxidative stress, pyroptosis, and apoptosis.

Pan-caspase inhibitor protects against noise-induced hearing loss in a rodent model.

Background: Despite the high prevalence of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), no effective treatments exist currently. Underlying mechanisms behind NIHL include elevated reactive oxygen species and inflammation, all which ultimately lead to cellular apoptosis. Z-VAD-FMK, an apoptosis inhibitor, has demonstrated protective effects against cochlear hair cells exposed to ototoxic agents; however, its potential for treating NIHL remains unexplored.

Comparison of actions of ketamine and telazol on cochlear function in a rodent model of noise-induced hearing loss.

Research has shown that anesthesia used in rodent models studying trauma-related changes in the peripheral auditory system can impact the results of standard functional tests like the auditory brainstem response (ABR). The anesthetic agents may also confound the effects of potential therapeutics under evaluation in the preclinical models. Ketamine, a N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, is a commonly employed anesthetic in rodent models.