The Role of Neurodegeneration in Hearing Loss and Vestibular Dysfunction

Hearing loss and vestibular dysfunction are increasingly recognized as early and underappreciated manifestations of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and other central nervous system disorders. While traditionally viewed as consequences of peripheral aging or environmental insult, mounting evidence suggests that both central and peripheral components of the auditory and vestibular systems are affected in neurodegeneration. Centrally, structural and functional changes may contribute to impaired sound processing, speech perception, and balance control. In parallel, peripheral pathology, including cochlear synaptopathy, auditory nerve degeneration, mitochondrial dysfunction, and demyelination, may precede or exacerbate central deficits. These overlapping pathologies can compound the cognitive and functional decline associated with these diseases.

Understanding the role of neurodegeneration in the auditory or vestibular system may offer new avenues for early diagnosis, risk stratification, and therapeutic intervention in neurodegenerative disorders. We welcome scientific original research, reviews, and mini-review articles exploring neurodegenerative diseases that pose significant health challenges via accelerating auditory or vestibular deficits in the normal course of life or with advancing age. Potential themes may include, but are not limited to:

• Mechanisms linking neurodegeneration, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and
demyelination in auditory or vestibular pathologies.

• Neuroinflammation in auditory and vestibular degeneration and regeneration.

• Neuron or axon–glia interactions in the peripheral and central auditory or vestibular
system.

• Neuroplasticity and central compensation following peripheral auditory or vestibular
degeneration.

• Auditory or vestibular processing deficits (central and peripheral) in neurodegenerative
diseases.

• Preclinical models exploring the link between auditory or vestibular deficits and CNS
disorders (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis).

• Early biomarkers of auditory or vestibular dysfunction in CNS disorders.

• Neuroimaging and electrophysiological approaches to assess sensory decline.

• Interventions targeting auditory and vestibular dysfunction in neurodegeneration.

• Impact of sensory deficits on cognition during normal aging or disease progression