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  3. Auditory activity sustains adult neurogenesis and cognition through the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system

Auditory activity sustains adult neurogenesis and cognition through the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system

  • Cell Stem Cell. 2026 Apr 2;33(4):605-621.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.stem.2026.02.008.
Qiang Liu 1,  Xing Luo 1,  Ziqi Liang 2,  Dezhe Qin 2,  Min Wang 1,  Weixiang Guo 3
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
  • 2 Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Graduate School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China.
  • 3 Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Graduate School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
PMID: 41861826 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2026.02.008
Abstract

Hearing loss has been considered as potentially the leading modifiable risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia, but the causal link between these two conditions remains unsolved. Here, we report that mice with specific ablation of cochlear outer hair cells display marked hearing loss, which in turn leads to cognitive impairment and defective adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Furthermore, we discover that the dentate gyrus receives auditory input through a neuraxis, which originates from glutamatergic neurons of the caudal pontine reticular nucleus (PnCvGluT2) and relays via norepinephrinergic neurons of the locus coeruleus (LCNEergic). Hearing loss diminishes PnCvGluT2 to LCNEergic neuronal afferents, thereby reducing norepinephrine levels. Notably, stimulating PnCvGluT2 to LCNEergic neuronal afferents rescues the defective neurogenesis and cognitive impairment caused by hearing loss. Therefore, our study establishes a causal relationship between hearing loss and cognitive decline and emphasizes the importance of hearing wellness in sustaining cognitive function.

Keywords

adult neurogenesis; caudal pontine reticular nucleus; cognitive decline; hearing loss; locus coeruleus.

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