Frisina Robert D, Frisina D Robert
Am J Audiol. 2013 Dec;22(2):299-302. doi: 10.1044/1059-0889(2013/13-0003).
The aim of this study was to highlight growing evidence of interactions between hormones and the structure and function of the auditory system.
Recent studies implicating sex hormones and other natural hormones in the modulation of hearing status in age-related hearing loss were reviewed.
Progesterone, a sex hormone, has been shown to have negative effects on the hearing of older women and aging mice, whereas, in contrast, estrogen was found in some cases to have a positive influence. Aldosterone, used in studies of animal models of autoimmune hearing loss, slowed the progression of hearing loss. Follow-up studies in humans revealed that auditory measures varied as serum aldosterone levels shifted within the normal range, in otherwise healthy older subjects. This was true for simple as well as complex auditory tasks (i.e., sound spatial processing), suggesting benefits of aldosterone to postperipheral auditory processing as well. In addition, evidence suggests that this functional hearing improvement occurred in association with anatomical improvements to the stria vascularis--an important site of anatomical change in presbycusis.
Audiology is now at the point where the search for biomedical interventions to modulate or prevent age-related hearing loss can move forward. Such interventions would require multidisciplinary collaborative initiatives by researchers in such areas as drug development, anatomy, auditory physiological and perceptual testing, and drug microdelivery systems.
本研究的目的是强调激素与听觉系统结构和功能之间相互作用的证据日益增多。
回顾了近期有关性激素和其他天然激素在年龄相关性听力损失中对听力状态调节作用的研究。
孕激素作为一种性激素，已被证明对老年女性和衰老小鼠的听力有负面影响，而相比之下，雌激素在某些情况下被发现有积极影响。醛固酮在自身免疫性听力损失动物模型研究中使用时，减缓了听力损失的进展。对人类的后续研究表明，在其他方面健康的老年受试者中，随着血清醛固酮水平在正常范围内变化，听觉测量结果也有所不同。对于简单和复杂的听觉任务（即声音空间处理）都是如此，这表明醛固酮对周边听觉处理之后的过程也有益处。此外，有证据表明这种功能性听力改善与血管纹的解剖学改善有关——血管纹是老年性耳聋解剖学变化的一个重要部位。
听力学目前正处于这样一个阶段，即寻找调节或预防年龄相关性听力损失的生物医学干预措施的研究可以向前推进。此类干预措施将需要药物开发、解剖学、听觉生理和感知测试以及药物微递送系统等领域的研究人员开展多学科合作项目。
