Return of function after hair cell regeneration

The ultimate goal of hair cell regeneration is to restore functional hearing. Because birds begin perceiving and producing song early in life, they provide a propitious model for studying not only whether regeneration of lost hair cells can return auditory sensitivity but also whether this regenerated periphery can restore complex auditory perception and production. They are the only animal where hair cell regeneration occurs naturally after hair cell loss and where the ability to correctly perceive and produce complex acoustic signals is critical to procreation and survival. The purpose of this review article is to survey the most recent literature on behavioral measures of auditory functional return in adult birds after hair cell regeneration. The first portion of the review summarizes the effect of ototoxic drug induced hair cell loss and regeneration on hearing loss and recovery for pure tones. The second portion reviews studies of complex, species-specific vocalization discrimination and recognition after hair cell regeneration. Finally, we discuss the relevance of temporary hearing loss and recovery through hair cell regeneration on complex call and song production. Hearing sensitivity is restored, except for the highest frequencies, after hair cell regeneration in birds, but there are enduring changes to complex auditory perception. These changes do not appear to provide any obstacle to future auditory or vocal learning.This article is part of a Special Issue entitled “Inner Ear Development and Regeneration”.

► We review behavioral studies of hearing recovery after ototoxic induced hair cell regeneration.
► Pure tone sensitivity and resolution returns to normal levels for all but the highest frequencies.
► Hereditary hearing loss does not prevent hearing improvement in Belgian Waterslager Canaries.
► We found enduring changes in the perception of complex, species specific vocalizations.
► These perceptual difficulties did not preclude future auditory or vocal learning.