Fluoxetine minimally affects hearing loss but induces gene expression changes in the cochlear nuclei after noise exposure

Fluoxetine exerted only modest, 4 kHz‑restricted improvements in ABR thresholds and did not restore cochlear structure or normal hearing following noise‑induced hearing loss. However, it induced distinct transcriptional alterations in the VCN and modulated the extracellular environment, suggesting a potential role in neural remodeling rather than direct auditory restoration.