Vestibular nerve

Vestibular nerve
Inner ear illustration showing semicircular canal, hair cells, ampulla, cupula, vestibular nerve, & fluid
Terminal nuclei of the vestibular nerve, with their upper connections. (Schematic.)
  1. Cochlear nerve, with its two nuclei
  2. Accessory nucleus
  3. Tuberculum acusticum
  4. Vestibular nerve
  5. Internal nucleus
  6. Nucleus of Deiters
  7. Nucleus of Bechterew
  8. Inferior or descending root of acoustic
  9. Ascending cerebellar fibers
  10. Fibers going to raphé
  11. Fibers taking an oblique course
  12. Lemniscus
  13. Inferior sensory root of trigeminal
  14. Cerebrospinal fasciculus
  15. Raphé
  16. Fourth ventricle
  17. Inferior peduncle. Origin of striæ medullares.
Details
FromVestibulocochlear nerve
Identifiers
Latinnervus vestibularis
MeSHD014725
TA98A14.2.01.122
TA26308
FMA53401
Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy

The vestibular nerve is one of the two branches of the vestibulocochlear nerve (the cochlear nerve being the other). In humans the vestibular nerve transmits sensory information from vestibular hair cells located in the two otolith organs (the utricle and the saccule) and the three semicircular canals via the vestibular ganglion of Scarpa. Information from the otolith organs reflects gravity and linear accelerations of the head. Information from the semicircular canals reflects rotational movement of the head. Both are necessary for the sensation of body position and gaze stability in relation to a moving environment.

Axons of the vestibular nerve synapse in the vestibular nucleus are found on the lateral floor and wall of the fourth ventricle in the pons and medulla.

It arises from bipolar cells in the vestibular ganglion which is situated in the upper part of the outer end of the internal auditory meatus.