[cid:82c2bafc-5979-4f3f-b1fa-21842f35b581] Seminars in Hearing Research Date: October 2, 2025 Place: Nelson 1215 Time: Noon - 1:00 pm Speaker: Megan Wood, Assistant Professor, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine               Title: “BIOMAP-ping Auditory Pain" Abstract: Loud noise can cause auditory pain, and in a condition called pain hyperacusis, even everyday sounds (i.e. conversation) can become painful. To better understand the mechanisms underlying auditory pain and identify potential alterations in this system during pain hyperacusis, we created two new assays. First, we developed the Behavioral Inventory of Mouse Affective Pain (BIOMAP) method, which assesses affective pain using measures of facial grimace and body position. We validated this approach using a well-established pain model with auditory pain features, CGRP-induced migraine. Notably, BIOMAP enabled us to differentiate two distinct levels of pain within this model, marking a significant advancement in the measurement of affective pain. Next, we designed an assay to examine the effects of sound exposure on affective pain behavior. Mice were exposed to white noise for two minutes, followed by two minutes of silence, with sound levels ranging from 70 dB SPL to 120 dB SPL. At sound levels of 100 dB SPL and above, mice exhibited pain behavior comparable to those observed during CGRP-induced migraine. To investigate the role of cochlear mechanotransduction in auditory pain, we tested mice lacking cochlear mechanotransduction. These mice did not display pain-related behaviors, even when exposed to sound levels as high as 120 dB SPL. Our findings indicate that, in normal hearing mice, cochlear perception of sound is essential for the generation of auditory pain. This work provides important insights into the mechanisms of auditory pain and lays the groundwork for future studies of pain hyperacusis. This year’s SHRP schedule is available here: https://engineering.purdue.edu/TPAN/hearing/shrp_schedule Titles and abstracts of all SHRP talks are here: https://engineering.purdue.edu/TPAN/hearing/shrp_abstracts