1. Hormone and Reproductive-Dependent Plasticity of Hearing - An Overview: Andrew Bass and Joseph Sisneros -- 2. Hormone-dependent plasticity of auditory systems in fishes: Paul Forlano, Karen Maruska, Joseph Sisneros and Andrew Bass -- 3. Effects of hormones on the auditory system and acoustic communication in frogs: Walter Wilczynski (awaiting confirmation) -- 4. Reproductive and hormone dependent effects on peripheral and hindbrain auditory processing in birds: Melissa Caras, Edwin Rubel and Eliot Brenowitz (awaiting confirmation) -- 5. Control of central auditory processing by brain generated estrogen in birds: Luke Remage-Healey -- 6. The role of estrogen in mammalian (mouse) auditory function: Barbara Canlon (awaiting confirmation) -- 7. The role of thyroid hormone on mammalian auditory function. Douglas. Forrest (awaiting confirmation) -- 8. Hormone replacement therapy and its effects on human hearing: Robert Frisina (awaiting confirmation) -- 9. Sex differences and hormonal effects on human audition: Dennis McFadden (awaiting confirmation) -- 10. Estrogen and regeneration of mammalian hair cells: Elizabeth Oesterle and Jennifer Stone (awaiting confirmation) -- 11. Reproductive related social plasticity and hearing in mammals: Robert Liu (awaiting confirmation).

This book reviews the growing literature that is consistent with the hypothesis that hormones can regulate auditory physiology and perception across a broad range of animal taxa, including humans. Understanding how hormones modulate auditory function has far reaching implications for advancing our knowledge in the basic biomedical sciences and in understanding the evolution of acoustic communication systems. A fundamental goal of neuroscience is to understand how hormones modulate neural circuits and behavior. For example, steroids such as estrogens and androgens are well-known regulators of vocal motor behaviors used during social acoustic communication. Recent studies have shown that these same hormones can also greatly influence the reception of social acoustic signals, leading to the more efficient exchange of acoustic information.