Experimental groups.

Timing of hearing loss surgery, drug delivery, and brain slice recordings are shown. Conductive hearing loss (CHL) or bilateral cochlear ablation was induced at P10, just prior to hearing onset. Our previous report characterized the effect of CHL on IPSCs at P18–22 and P90–110 (gray box) (14). Following CHL, GABA receptor activators (zolpidem, SGRI or baclofen) were administered subcutaneously once per day for a week (P11–17). Inhibitory currents were recorded from thalamorecipient ACx L2/3 pyramidal neurons at P17–22 or P90–110 (adult) control as well as drug-treated animals. In a separate group of CHL animals, SGRI was administered at a later age (P30–36) and recordings obtained at P90–110. In a final group, zolpidem was administered to SNHL animals and recordings in ACx slices were obtained at P18–22. For controls, sIPSCs, me-IPSCs and PPR were also recorded in juveniles in several additional groups that included sham surgery, sham surgery with SGRI injection and sham injections in CHL animals. N values and animals used for each group are stated in Results, and S1 methods and results.