The hearing and balance nerve
Vestibulocochlear nerve (VIII) · nervus vestibulocochlearis
The eighth cranial nerve, carrying hearing and balance from the inner ear.
What it does
This nerve has two parts. The cochlear part carries sound signals from the inner ear's spiral cochlea, and the vestibular part carries information about head movement and gravity from the balance organs. Both run together into the brainstem.
Surprising fact
The balance part works so fast that it keeps your eyes locked on a target while you shake your head, a reflex you can test by reading this sentence while nodding.
Why it matters
Inflammation of the balance part of this nerve causes sudden, severe dizziness that can last days, while slow-growing tumours on it can cause hearing loss in one ear.
Nearby
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Sources
Drafted with AI help; awaiting a human fact-check against these sources.
Open in the 3D atlas · Suggest a correction · Not medical advice.
3D models: Z-Anatomy & BodyParts3D (CC BY-SA 4.0 / 2.1 JP). Card text CC BY 4.0.