The present disclosure provides methods for treating a hearing disorder associated with maladaptive neuroplasticity, reduction of inhibition, shift of excitation-to-inhibition balance, changes in central gain, and/or changes in neural sensitivity in a subject by inhibiting the function and/or production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in the subject. The present disclosure provides methods of administering to the subject a TNF-α inhibitory agent in an amount effective to treat the subject for a hearing disorder associated with maladaptive neuroplasticity, reduction of inhibition, shift of excitation-to-inhibition balance, changes in central gain, and/or changes in neural sensitivity. TNF-α inhibitory agents of the subject disclosure include agents that inhibit the function TNF-α, inhibit the production of TNF-α, inhibit TNF-α signaling, inhibit TNF-α expression, or inhibit TNF-α signaling pathway genes in the subject. The present disclosure also provides methods for treating a hearing disorder associated with maladaptive neuroplasticity, reduction of inhibition, shift of excitation-to-inhibition balance, changes in central gain, and/or changes in neural sensitivity in a subject by disrupting one or more alleles of a TNF-α signaling pathway gene in a cell of the subject.
METHODS OF TREATING HEARING DISORDERS