Predicting cochlear structural alterations from auditory function in age‐related hearing loss mice based on optical coherence tomography

With global population aging, age‐related hearing loss has become a major public health concern. Understanding the relationship between auditory functional decline and cochlear structural degeneration is essential for early detection and precise intervention. However, conventional morphological approaches are limited in achieving high‐resolution in vivo imaging of the cochlea. Optical coherence tomography enables high‐resolution visualization of cochlear microstructures, yet its in vivo and clinical applicability remains constrained by anatomical and optical limitations. In this study, auditory brainstem response, distortion product otoacoustic emission, and cochlear structural features were collected from mice aged 4–12 months. Five structural parameters related to cochlear development were quantified and correlated with 32 electrophysiological characteristics. For each structural parameter, the three most relevant electrophysiological features were selected to predict cochlear morphological changes based on linear regression and random forest models, both of which achieved moderate predictive performance. This work establishes a noninvasive and repeatable framework that infers potential cochlear structural changes using routine auditory electrophysiological features, thereby overcoming the inherent limitations of current inner ear imaging methods. It provides a potential tool for longitudinal hearing monitoring and early assessment of age‐related cochlear degeneration.