The vestibulocochlear nerve is the nerve of hearing and balance.
Nuclei
The vestibular portion terminates in the vestibular nuclear complex of the brainstem. Cochlear fibres pass to ventral and dorsal cochlear nuclei.
Course
The vestibulocochlear nerve aides from the lower pons, at the cerebellopontine angle. It passes laterally to enter the internal auditory meatus with the facial nerve. It divides into vestibular and cochlear nerves.
Cochlear nerve
The cochlear nerve ascends along the modiolus of the cochlea. It receives sensory input from the hair cells of the organ of Corti. The spiral ganglion, within the modiolus, houses the cell bodies of afferent neurons.
Vestibular nerve
The vestibular nerve passes to the lateral end of rhe internal auditory meatus where cell bodies of afferent neurons lie in the vestibular ganglion. From the ganglion, the afferent limbs of the nerves pass to the macular of the utricle and saccule, and the ampullary crests of the semicircular canals.
