The sensory hair cells in the inner ear and vestibular system convert mechanical stimuli, sound and motion into neural activity that is responsible for the sensations of hearing, motion and head position. In mammals, the loss of hair cells from acoustic overstimulation, ototoxic drugs and aging is irreversible, leading to a permanent loss of function. However, it is now clear that hair cells in other vertebrates are capable of regenerating and recovering partial or complete function. Moreover, partially damaged hair cells can undergo self-repair or be protected from traumatic insults by external compounds.

Hair Cell Regeneration, Repair, and Protection provides a comprehensive survey of what is currently known about the regeneration, repair and protection of sensory hair cells and subsequent recovery of function in the auditory and vestibular system. The aim is to provide graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, clinicians and scientists in related disciplines with the biological bases of hair cells and with an understanding of the factors that contribute to their regeneration and repair.

Table of Contents:

Overview: Regeneration and repair Richard J. Salvi
Morphological Correlates of Regeneration and Repair in the Inner Ear Jason R. Meyers and Jeffrey T. Corwin
The recovery of function in the avian auditory system following ototrauma James C. Saunders and Richard J. Salvi
Functional recovery following hair cell regeneration in birds Robert J. Dooling, Micheal L. Dent, Amanda M. Lauer, and Brenda M. Ryals
Hair cell regeneration: Mechanisms guiding cellular proliferation and differentiation Elizabeth C. Oesterle and Jennifer S. Stone
Protection and repair of inner ear sensory cells Andrew Forge and Thomas R. Van De Water
Gene arrays, cell lines, stem cells, and sensory regeneration in mammalian ears Marcelo N. Rivolta and Matthew C. Holley

About the editors:

Richard J. Salvi, Center for Hearing and Deafness, University of Buffalo, NY. Arthur N. Popper is Professor in the Department of Biology and Co-Director of the Center for Comparative and Evolutionary Biology of Hearing at the University of Maryland, College Park. Richard R. Fay is Director of the Parmly Hearing Institute and Professor of Psychology at Loyola University of Chicago.

Résumé
The Springer Handbook of Auditory Research presents a series of comprehensive and synthetic reviews of the fundamental topics in modern auditory research. The volumes are aimed at all individuals with interests in hearing research, including advanced graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and clinical investigators. The volumes are intended to introduce new investigators to important aspects of hearing science and to help established investigators to better understand the fundamental theories and data in fields of hearing that they may not normally follow closely. Each volume presents a particular topic comprehensively, and each serves as a synthetic overview and guide to the literature. As such, the chapters present neither exhaustive data reviews nor original research that has not yet appeared in peer-reviewed journals. The volumes focus on topics that have developed a solid data and conceptual foundation rather than on those for which a literature is only beginning to develop. New research areas will be covered on a timely basis in the series as they begin to mature.

Contenu
Overview: Regeneration and Repair.- Morphological Correlates of Regeneration and Repair in the Inner Ear.- Recovery of Function in the Avian Auditory System After Ototrauma.- Functional Recovery After Hair Cell Regeneration in Birds.- Hair Cell Regeneration: Mechanisms Guiding Cellular Proliferation and Differentiation.- Protection and Repair of Inner Ear Sensory Cells.- Gene Arrays, Cell Lines, Stem Cells, and Sensory Regeneration in Mammalian Ears.