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Updated: Jul 10, 2025

Morphological and Functional Evaluation of Ribbon Synapses at Specific Frequency Regions of the Mouse Cochlea
Published on: May 10, 2019
Cochlear synaptopathy and hidden hearing loss: a scoping review
Marina de Figueiredo Colla1, Pamela Papile Lunardelo2, Fernanda Abalen Martins Dias1
1Departamento de Fonoaudiologia, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais - PUC MG - Belo Horizonte (MG), Brasil.
Purpose:
To identify the pathophysiological definitions adopted by studies investigating "cochlear synaptopathy" (CS) and "hidden hearing loss" (HHL).
Research Strategies:
The combination of keywords "Auditory Synaptopathy" or "Neuronal Synaptopathy" or "Hidden Hearing Loss" with "etiology" or "causality" or "diagnosis" was used in the databases EMBASE, Pubmed (MEDLINE), CINAHL (EBSCO), and Web of Science.
Selection Criteria:
Studies that investigated CS or HHL in humans using behavioral and/or electrophysiological procedures were included.
Data Analysis:
Data analysis and extraction were performed with regard to terminology, definitions, and population.
Results:
49 articles were included. Of these, 61.2% used the CS terminology, 34.7% used both terms, and 4.1% used HHL. The most-studied conditions were exposure to noise and tinnitus.
Conclusion:
CS terminology was used in most studies, referring to the pathophysiological process of deafferentiation between the cochlear nerve fibers and inner hair cells.
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