Inducing Hearing Loss in Mice Through Prolonged High-Volume Sound Exposure

Start with a cushioned rat trap cage divided into four compartments, each housing a mouse. 

Place this cage inside a soundproof box.

Position the speaker in front of the cage and a microphone above it to monitor the sound level. 

Close the soundproof box to isolate the mice from external noise. 

Expose the mice to high-volume noise for an extended period over several days. 

As sound waves enter the ear, they travel to the cochlea, where hair-like projections in the hair cells detect vibrations caused by the sound wave. 

This excites the hair cells and transmits the signal to connected auditory nerve fibers,  generating signals that travel to the brain for sound perception.

However, prolonged exposure to high-volume noise damages the hair-like projections, reducing their ability to detect sound waves. 

This decreases the signal transmission to auditory nerves and the brain, diminishing sound perception and resulting in noise-induced hearing loss.