The effects of acute and chronic stress on auditory function: Experimental and clinical studies

Authors

  • Barbara Canlon Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
  • Inna Meltser Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
  • Dan Hasson Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden

Abstract

The deleterious effects of mechanical stress (i.e. noise) on hearing have been studied extensively in both animal models (Ohlemiller, 2008) and human populations (Tambs et al., 2003) but the notion of emotional stress as a modulator of the auditory system is rather novel. A complex set of pathways of the stress response have been identified, involving both sympathetic stimulation of adrenergic α-receptors within the cochlea (Bielefeld and Henderson, 2006), as well as neuro-endocrine responses primarily aimed at engaging the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Current research suggests that acute stress may protect the cochlea (Tahera et al., 2006, 2007), whereas chronic stress exposure seems to be harmful to hearing. The importance of a normal functioning of the stress response for healthy hearing is supported by clinical studies showing that patients with tinnitus display signs of an impaired stress response along with a higher degree of perceived stress, compared to nontinnitus patients (Hebert and Lupien 2007, 2009). In this review we discuss how acute or chronic stress can modulate the auditory system. Our results cover a range of experimental studies as well as several clinical studies and will be presented separately.

References

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Published

2011-12-15

How to Cite

Canlon, B., Meltser, I., & Hasson, D. (2011). The effects of acute and chronic stress on auditory function: Experimental and clinical studies. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Auditory and Audiological Research, 3, 1–9. Retrieved from https://proceedings.isaar.eu/index.php/isaarproc/article/view/2011-01

Issue

Vol. 3 (2011): Speech Perception and Auditory Disorders

Section

2011/1. Indicators of hearing impairment and measures of speech perception

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