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Abstract

The auditory system has a remarkable ability to modulate its activity relative to the acoustic environment, as a part of adaptation and survival. This is possible through the effective feedback mechanism involving two parallel auditory pathways, ascending and descending, which interact with a complex neuro-endocrine network. There is a physiological basis for the influence of hormones on auditory function, including stress-related hormones, the hormones of the circadian cycle and reproductive hormones. The ovarian steroids (oestrogen and progesterone) can modulate auditory function directly through the oestrogen receptors in the cochlea, as well as through the steroid receptors at different levels of the auditory system. There are also infinite possibilities for indirect effects of reproductive hormones on hearing. The research data on physiological variations in auditory function related to hormones, including oestrogen and progesterone, will be presented.

Biography