Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41389274›Full record

ArticleJournal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology : JARO2026

Predicting Cochlear Synaptopathy in Mice with Varying Degrees of Outer Hair Cell Dysfunction Using Auditory Evoked Potentials.

Brad N Buran, Seán Elkins, Wenxuan He, Sarah Verhulst, Naomi F Bramhall

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology : JARO, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Brad N BuranOregon Hearing Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA. buran@ohsu.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9864-7798
Seán ElkinsOregon Hearing Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0002-4809-9882
Wenxuan HeOregon Hearing Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2008-3558
Sarah VerhulstHearing Technology @ WAVES, Department of Information Technology, Ghent University, Zwijnaarde, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6498-7719
Naomi F BramhallVA RR&D National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1660-5322

Funding

Mouse, Man, and Machine: Combining Model Systems to Develop a Biomarker for Cochlear Deafferentation in Humans (Administrative Supplement)R01DC020423 · NIDCD · OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY · PI Naomi Bramhall · 2022 to 2026
$3.3M
NIDCD NIH HHS R01 DC020423NIDCD NIH HHS R01DC020423RRD VA I50 RX002361
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeAlthough human temporal bones suggest that cochlear synapse numbers decline with age and noise exposure, no validated diagnostic method exists. In animal models, cochlear synaptopathy is associated with reduced auditory brainstem response (ABR) wave 1 amplitude and envelope following response (EFR) magnitude for a sinusoidally amplitude modulated (SAM) tone. However, measuring SAM EFR at the optimal modulation frequency (1000 Hz) is difficult in humans. A rectangular amplitude modulated (RAM) tone may be more sensitive to synaptopathy, but this has not been validated in animals. In addition, because synaptopathy likely co-occurs with outer hair cell dysfunction (OHC), a diagnostic assay needs to be robust to abnormal auditory thresholds. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relative ability of ABR and EFR measures to predict synapse numbers in mice with varying degrees of synaptopathy and OHC dysfunction.

methodsDistortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs), ABR, SAM EFR, and RAM EFR were recorded from 57 mice with a range of auditory thresholds and degrees of synaptopathy. Cross-validation was used to compare the relative ability of linear regression models incorporating different measures to predict synapse numbers. Predictions were confirmed histologically.

resultsRAM EFR modulated at 1000 Hz was the single best predictor of synapse numbers for broad synapse loss across frequency, while combining RAM EFR with ABR further improved predictions. In contrast, ABR best predicted focal synaptopathy. Incorporating DPOAEs improved predictions for EFR, but not ABR.

conclusionRAM EFR, ABR, and DPOAEs should be used in the future when predicting synapse numbers.

Indexed as

CochleaEvoked Potentials, AuditoryEvoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain StemHair Cells, Auditory, OuterSynapsesAnimalsAuditory ThresholdFemaleHearing Loss, HiddenMaleMiceOtoacoustic Emissions, SpontaneousAge-related hearing lossAuditory brainstem response (ABR)Cochlear deafferentationCochlear synaptopathyEnvelope following response (EFR)Noise-induced hearing loss

Identifiers

PMID41389274
PMCPMC12949156

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.