Excitotoxic damage to auditory nerve afferents and spiral ganglion neurons is correlated with developmental upregulation of AMPA and KA receptors

Excess release of glutamate at the inner hair cell-type I auditory nerve synapse results in excitotoxicity characterized by rapid swelling and disintegration of the afferent synapses, but in some cases, the damage expands to the spiral ganglion soma. Cochlear excitotoxic damage is largely mediated by α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors (AMPAR) and kainate receptor (KAR) and potentially N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors...