Nerve
Vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII)
Hearing and balance
High-yield
Purely sensory (hearing + balance); passes through the internal acoustic meatus. A vestibular schwannoma (acoustic neuroma) arises here.
Overview
The eighth cranial nerve, carrying the special senses of hearing (cochlear) and balance (vestibular) from the inner ear.
Learning this group? Read How to memorize the cranial nerves.
Reference facts
- Roots
- Special sensory (cranial nerve)
- Course
- Runs from the inner ear through the internal acoustic meatus to the pontomedullary junction
- Motor
- None (efferent olivocochlear fibres modulate the cochlea)
- Sensory
- Hearing (cochlear division) and equilibrium/balance (vestibular division)
Frequently asked questions
What type of nerve is the vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII)?
The vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII) is special sensory (cranial nerve).
What muscles does the vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII) supply?
None (efferent olivocochlear fibres modulate the cochlea).
What is the sensory distribution of the vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII)?
The vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII) carries sensation from the hearing (cochlear division) and equilibrium/balance (vestibular division).
What is the course of the vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII)?
Runs from the inner ear through the internal acoustic meatus to the pontomedullary junction.