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After transection of the VIII nerve in the inner meatus, 95% of the cochlear neurons and practically all efferent fibres degenerate and disappear. In long-term survivals, different phenomena indicate the regeneration properties of many, probably efferent or vestibular nerve fibres. The few remaining afferent neurons react to the lesion of their central axon with enormous proliferations of their peripheral branches in the organ of Corti.
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Spoendlin et al. (1976) studied this question.
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