Aging Alters Hair Cell Physiological Properties in Mice with Late-Onset Age-Related Hearing Loss

This study investigates age-related changes in cochlear hair cells in CBA/CaJ mice, a model with slow progression of age-related hearing loss (ARHL). Researchers observed that hair cell size decreased starting at 10 months, before any detectable hearing loss. This reduction in size was linked to a significant decrease in total current response and a reduction in large conductance calcium-activated potassium (BK) channel currents, while mechanoelectrical transducer (MET) currents remained stable. These findings suggest that early functional decline in hair cells, rather than changes in stereocilia, may contribute to ARHL, indicating a distinct pathological pathway in this mouse model.