Presbycusis or age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is one of the most prevalent chronic health problems facing aging populations. Along the auditory pathway, the stations involved in transmission and processing, function as a system of interconnected feedback loops.

Regulating hierarchically auditory processing, auditory cortex (AC) neuromodulation can, accordingly, activate both peripheral and central plasticity after hearing loss.

However, previous ARHL-prevention interventions have mainly focused on preserving the structural and functional integrity of the inner ear, overlooking the central auditory system.

In this study, using an animal model of spontaneous ARHL, we aim at assessing the effects of multisession epidural direct current stimulation of the AC through stereotaxic implantation of a 1-mm silver ball anode in Wistar rats.