6.18 – Auditory Toxicology☆

The sensitivity of the peripheral auditory system to both transient and permanent impairment has been well recognized for decades. It has long been appreciated that aminoglycoside antibiotics, anti-malarial drugs, loop diuretics and platinum-containing chemotherapeutic agents as well as industrial chemicals such as solvents carry a risk of producing functional impairment and injury. While toxicity is mainly mediated by damage to the hair cells, further investigation is constantly ongoing to elucidate details on the impact to the auditory and vestibular systems. This article describes the structure and normal function of the cochlea, explores potential mechanisms/modes of action responsible for ototoxicity, and surveys a variety of such chemical ototoxicants.