GAP43 and deafness: In order to see if a once unbalanced auditory system has the potential to re-balance itself after a longer period of deafness, Gap43 mRNA staining intensity was studied after 70 days of ud. Still, we detected a significant imbalance of Gap43 mRNA staining between both sides of LSO indicated by a ratio significantly smaller than for controls (late ud: 0.50±0.03; Co: 0.96±0.03; p<0.001; Fig. 7A).