title: Brain-derived nerve growth factor in the treatment of sensorineural hearing loss.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A possible medical treatment for sensorineural hearing loss using brain-derived nerve growth factor (BDNF) was explored. The hypothesis is that direct intracochlear application of BDNF will result in improved hearing.
  
  
  METHODS
  Animal research study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Significant hearing loss was created using cisplatin in 11 guinea pigs. One month later, bilateral cochleostomies were performed placing 0.05 microg of BDNF in one cochlea of each animal prior to plugging with connective tissue. The other cochlea served as a control. Auditory brain-stem response (ABR) testing was then carried out for three months at 6,000, 8,000, 12,000, and 24,000 Hz.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ABR thresholds were better in the treated ear for all frequencies. Threshold differences were statistically significantly better two months after treatment (general linear model, repeated measures P = .045).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intracochlear application of BDNF may prevent hearing loss.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. ericmeen@gmail.com
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Meen
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Blakley
authors.forename: Taeed
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Quddusi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000494:pharmacology; D003051:Cochlea / Q000187:drug effects*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015552:Injections, Intralesional; D016014:Linear Models; D011336:Probability; D011897:Random Allocation; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; C019277:brain-derived growth factor; D002945:Cisplatin