Neonatal sound deprivation affects brain stem auditory nuclei.

CBA/J mice deprived of airborne sound stimulation during postnatal development have smaller globular cells in the ventral cochlear nucleus and smaller neurons in the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body than do normal control mice. The sound deprivation in these mice is similar to that experienced by persons with pure congenital conductive hearing losses. Even more profound central neural changes were found in auditory nuclei in the brain stem of a congenitally sensorineural deaf human.