Age-related auditory loss in the Mongolian gerbil

Mongolian gerbils were examined for auditory nerve function at five ages, ranging from 90 to 730 days postpartum. Electrocochleograms were obtained in response to tone pips at frequencies ranging from 1 to 64 kHz. An age-related threshold increase was noted at all frequencies. The pattern of auditory loss is different from that observed in the aged rat, guinea pig, and mouse.