The changes in function were temporary, and there was no evidence of either a temporary or a permanent change in neural function or the function of sensory hair cells in the inner ear. (sciencedaily.com)
Just like in human ears, the delicate sensory hairs in the rat inner ear (shown above) can be damaged by loud noise, chemicals, and infection. (sciencemag.org)
The human ear has about 16,000 sensory hair cells. (sciencedaily.com)