Tinnitus and hearing loss in hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) exposed to loud sound.
Hamsters were trained to go left and right to sounds on their left and right sides, respectively. Silent trials were occasionally given in which no sound was presented. Hamsters exposed to a loud 2- or 10-kHz tone in 1 ear often shifted their responding on the silent trials to the side of the exposed ear, suggesting that they perceived a sound in that ear (i.e., tinnitus). The degree of tinnitus was related to the degree of the accompanying hearing loss (estimated by the auditory brainstem response). However, a conductive hearing loss (plugging 1 ear) did not cause a hamster to test positive for tinnitus. Tinnitus could be demonstrated within minutes following tone exposure, indicating an immediate onset, as occurs in humans.
Department of Psychology, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA. hheffne@pop3.utoledo.edu
Henry E
HE
Heffner
Gimseong
G
Koay
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000009:adverse effects; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D002755:Choice Behavior; D006224:Cricetinae; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004430:Ear Protective Devices; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology*; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D011571:Psychoacoustics; D013016:Sound / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013997:Time Factors; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000209:etiology*