Event:

Our population is progressively exposed to environmental noise from home electronics, traffic, and other sources. Such environmental noise can cause stress in the auditory system even at moderate sound levels, no matter whether the exposure lasts a brief period or a lifetime. Stresscopin, or urocortin 3 (UCN3) is a small neurotransmitter involved in stress signaling. Stress response signaling is important for both protection from damaging stimuli and recovery of homeostasis after stress. Recent studies suggest that stress signaling molecules and their receptors are localized in the cochlea and play a role in protection from noise induced hearing loss. There is unexpected evidence for UCN3 expression in neurons throughout the auditory brainstem including the superior paraolivary nucleus. Here we use various techniques to explore the role of UCN3 in modulating activity during audiogenic stress and hearing protection.