Clinical relevance of the cat as a model of hearing loss

Reliable, clinically relevant, animal models of hearing loss are vital to both increase our understanding of changes that occur during hearing loss and to test the safety and efficacy of interventions designed to treat hearing loss. This presentation will outline the variety of deafening techniques than can be used in the cat to induce either profound or partial hearing loss over a range of ages (from neonatal to adult). We will also discuss the range of behavioral measures, long-term and acute electrophysiological measures (including DPOAEs, CAPs, ABRs), and histological techniques (including whole cochlea imaging) that are available when using the cat as a model that make it an invaluable resource for the hearing field.