Deaf mice have nearly normal inner ear function until ear canal opens

For the first two weeks of life, mice with a hereditary form of deafness have nearly normal neural activity in the auditory system, according to a new study by Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists. Their previous studies indicate that this early auditory activity—before the onset of hearing—provides a kind of training to prepare the brain to process sound when hearing begins. The findings are published June 27 in PLOS Biology.