Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 1, 2026
12:21
The Mouse Round-window Approach for Ototoxic Agent Delivery: A Rapid and Reliable Technique for Inducing Cochlear Cell Degeneration
Published on: November 26, 2015
18.9K
Hyperbaric oxygenation with corticoid in experimental acoustic trauma
Nicolas Fakhry1, Jean Claude Rostain, Yves Cazals
1Laboratoire de physiopathologie et actions thérapeutiques des gaz sous pression, EA 3280, Université de la Méditerranée and IMNSSA, Faculté de Médecine Nord, Boulevard P Dramard, 13916 Marseille Cedex 20, France.
Hearing Research
|June 26, 2007
Summary
Combined hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) and corticoid therapy significantly protects against severe noise-induced hearing loss. Early treatment initiation (within one day) yielded the best results in guinea pig models.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Acute acoustic trauma can lead to significant hearing loss.
- Hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) combined with corticoids has shown promise for moderate noise-induced hearing loss in animal models.
- Previous studies focused on less severe hearing losses (20-25 dB).
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of combined hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) and corticoid therapy for greater noise-induced hearing losses.
- To determine the optimal timing for initiating combined HBO and corticoid treatment after acoustic trauma.
Main Methods:
- Sixty-five guinea pig ears were subjected to a 45-minute noise exposure (8 kHz band, 115 dB SPL).
- Treatment groups included: no treatment (control), HBO alone, corticoid alone, combined HBO and corticoid (initiated within 1 day post-trauma), and combined HBO and corticoid (initiated 6 days post-trauma).
- Auditory thresholds were assessed using acoustically evoked responses measured via intracranial electrodes.
Main Results:
- Neither HBO alone nor corticoid alone provided significant protection compared to controls.
- Combined HBO and corticoid therapy significantly protected against noise-induced auditory threshold loss.
- Treatment initiated within one day post-trauma showed the most significant protective effect, reducing hearing loss by approximately 10-15 dB, even for greater initial losses (around 40 dB).
Conclusions:
- Combined hyperbaric oxygenation and corticoid therapy is an effective treatment for severe noise-induced hearing loss.
- Early intervention (within 24 hours) is crucial for maximizing the therapeutic benefits of this combined treatment.
- This approach offers a promising therapeutic strategy for mitigating substantial acoustic trauma-induced hearing deficits.
