title: Commentary on the regulatory implications of noise-induced cochlear neuropathy.
abstract: A discussion on whether recent research on noise-induced cochlear neuropathy in rodents justifies changes in current regulation of occupational noise exposure.
  
  
  
  Informal literature review and commentary, relying on literature found in the authors' files. No formal literature search was performed.
  
  
  
  Published literature on temporary threshold shift (TTS) and cochlear pathology, in humans and experimental animals, as well as the regulations of the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
  
  
  
  Humans are less susceptible to TTS, and probably to cochlear neuropathy, than rodents. After correcting for inter-species audiometric differences (but not for differences in susceptibility), exposures that caused cochlear neuropathy in rodents already exceed OSHA limits. Those exposures also caused "pathological TTS" (requiring more than 24 h to recover), which does not appear to occur with human broadband noise exposure permissible under OSHA.
  
  
  
  It would be premature to conclude that noise exposures permissible under OSHA can cause cochlear neuropathy in humans.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology , Head and Neck Surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio , San Antonio , TX , USA and.
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Dobie
authors.affiliation: b Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences , Indiana University , Bloomington , IN , USA.
authors.forename: Larry E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Humes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001305:Auditory Fatigue; D003051:Cochlea / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006291:Health Policy; D006309:Hearing; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D023421:Models, Animal; D009623:Noise, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D011050:Policy Making; D020127:Recovery of Function; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013045:Species Specificity; D013997:Time Factors; D000160:Vestibulocochlear Nerve Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology
keywords: Noise-induced; neuropathy; occupational safety and health administration; permissible exposure limit; regulation; species; temporary threshold shift