09-10, 08:30–09:00 (Europe/Istanbul), Otology 6
Background
Stress-related auditory complaints—particularly tinnitus, sound intolerance, and fluctuating hearing symptoms—are frequently reported in clinical practice. While central auditory and limbic mechanisms of stress have been extensively studied, the auditory periphery has long been considered a passive recipient of stress-related modulation. Emerging evidence challenges this assumption.
Acute activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis leads to rapid release of glucocorticoids, which are known to induce synaptic remodeling in the central nervous system. However, whether similar mechanisms operate at the inner hair cell–spiral ganglion neuron synapse, the first synapse of the auditory pathway, has remained largely unexplored. Moreover, sex-dependent differences in stress responsiveness are increasingly recognized across neuroscience, yet are rarely addressed in auditory research.
Recent experimental work demonstrates that stress hormones directly modulate synaptic architecture in the cochlea, revealing sex-specific patterns of plasticity mediated by glucocorticoid receptors. These findings provide a novel mechanistic framework linking stress physiology with peripheral auditory dysfunction.
Description
This keynote lecture will present and contextualize new experimental evidence demonstrating that acute exposure to stress hormones induces rapid, sex-dependent synaptic remodeling at the inner hair cell synapse. Using organotypic cochlear models, the lecture will illustrate how corticosterone alters presynaptic ribbon size, postsynaptic AMPA receptor organization, and synaptic colocalization without causing overt cellular damage.
The talk will integrate molecular, synaptic, and functional perspectives, bridging basic auditory neuroscience with clinically relevant phenomena, including tinnitus, hyperacusis, and stress-related hearing fluctuations. Particular emphasis will be placed on sex as a biological variable, receptor-specific mechanisms, and the concept of the cochlea as a stress-responsive organ.
The lecture will conclude by discussing translational implications for individualized auditory care and future research directions in stress-related otology
Outcome Objectives
After attending this keynote lecture, participants will be able to:
1. Recognize the auditory periphery as an active target of stress hormones, rather than a purely mechanically driven system.
2. Understand sex-dependent mechanisms of synaptic plasticity at the inner hair cell–spiral ganglion neuron synapse.
3. Explain the role of glucocorticoid receptors in cochlear synaptic remodeling under acute stress conditions.
4. Integrate stress biology into clinical reasoning for tinnitus and other stress-associated auditory disorders.
5. Identify emerging translational opportunities for sex-sensitive and stress-informed approaches in otology and audiology.
The purpose of this proposal is to present a keynote lecture that introduces stress-induced, sex-dependent synaptic plasticity in the auditory periphery as a novel concept in otology. By integrating recent experimental evidence with clinical observations in tinnitus and stress-related auditory symptoms, the lecture aims to reframe the inner hair cell synapse as an active, stress-responsive structure and to highlight translational implications for research, diagnosis, and individualized patient care.
1986 M.Sc. in Immunology from the University of Warsaw, Poland
1999 Ph.D. in Medical Sciences (immunology/oncology) from the University of Alberta, Canada
Postdoctoral study at Southwestern University, Dallas, TX, USA, and Max Planck Institute, Berlin, Germany
2001 - 2006 Group Leader at Max Planck Institute, Berlin, Germany
2006-present, Staff Scientist in the Department ORL, Head and Neck Surgery, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
2017-present, Lecturer in Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Zielona Góra, Poland