Dopaminergic and cholinergic innervation in the mouse cochlea after noise-induced or age-related synaptopathy

•We exposed mice to noise to permanently destroy auditory nerve (AN) synapses with IHCs.•Synaptopathic noise transiently increased the density of cholinergic efferents.•Synaptopathic noise transientily decreased the density of dopaminergic efferents.•In aging, loss of medial and lateral efferents outpaced OHC and IHC loss, respectively.•In aging, lateral efferents migrated to contact IHCs and ANs close to the habenula.