Vestibular nerve
Nervus vestibularis
Sensory (eye & ear)NervesHeadLeft and right
View left in 3D View right in 3D
- What it is
- The balance part of CN VIII: a superior division from the utricle and the anterior and lateral ampullae, and an inferior division from the saccule and the posterior ampulla. The cell bodies form Scarpa's ganglion in the internal acoustic meatus, where it joins the cochlear nerve.
- Function
- Carries signals of head rotation, tilt and acceleration to the vestibular nuclei and cerebellum.
- Size
- About 20,000 fibres.
- Clinical note
- Vestibular neuritis, a viral inflammation of this nerve, causes days of severe spinning vertigo without hearing loss.