# Mechanisms of exercise-induced neuroprotection in a mouse model of presbycusis

> **NIH NIH R03** · UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN · 2020 · $70,179

## Abstract

Aging-related hearing loss is growing at an alarming rate. Unfortunately, simple peripheral amplification
devices, such as hearing aids, do not adequately treat this problem because they do not address the
changes that occur at the level of the central nervous system. Although many previous investigators have
examined the individual changes in tuning function, neurotransmitter pharmacology, temporal properties,
etc., in the aging auditory system, what has been missing is an understanding of a unifying mechanism
that ties these changes together. Herein, we propose to test the hypothesis that mitochondrial dysfunction
underlies aging-related changes in physiological function, and that there may be metabolic “hubs” in the
auditory system that are particularly vulnerable during aging. To answer this question, we will employ an
endurance exercise intervention in a population of mice that have been genetically engineered to age
prematurely and examine the impact of exercise on brain metabolism at multiple levels of the central
auditory system simultaneously. We hypothesize that particular portions of the central auditory system
will be selectively vulnerable to aging-related changes, and that 1) endurance exercise will mitigate these
changes and 2) upregulation of PGC1α, a transcriptional coactivator critical for mitochondrial biogenesis,
is associated with the protective effects of exercise. Successful completion of this work will not only shed
light on basic mechanisms involved in aging, but will also reveal new therapeutic targets to augment the
beneficial effects of endurance exercise on the central auditory system.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9850184
- **Project number:** 5R03AG059103-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN
- **Principal Investigator:** DANIEL A LLANO
- **Activity code:** R03 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $70,179
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-01-15 → 2021-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9850184

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9850184, Mechanisms of exercise-induced neuroprotection in a mouse model of presbycusis (5R03AG059103-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-11 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9850184. Licensed CC0.

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