Vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII)

Watch videos

The vestibulocochlear nerve, also known as the 8th cranial nerve (CN VIII) is a sensory nerve that consists of two divisions: the vestibular and cochlear nerves. The function of the vestibulocochlear nerve is to provide special somatic afferent (SSA) innervation of the internal ear, with each division serving a specific role:

• The vestibular nerve conveys information from the vestibular apparatus of the internal ear to the vestibular nuclei in the pons and brainstem in order to maintain balance, spatial orientation and coordination
• The cochlear nerve is part of the auditory pathway, conveying auditory information from the cochlea of the internal ear to the cochlear nuclei in the brainstem in order to enable the sense of hearing

Watch our video tutorial to find out more about the nuclei, course and branches of the vestibulocochlear nerve!

If you need to recall the inner ear anatomy, have a look at the video tutorial below:

Take a quiz

Solidify your knowledge with our quiz about the anatomy and function of the vestibulocochlear nerve.

Browse atlas

Analyze the components of the vestibulocochlear nerve thoroughly through our gallery:

Key points