It forms a small bulge on the surface of the brainstem – known as the auditory tubercle.įrom the dorsal cochlear nucleus, most fibres cross the midline and ascend in the contralateral lateral lemniscus.Dorsal (posterior) cochlear nucleus – located posterior to the inferior cerebellar peduncle.Ventral (anterior) cochlear nucleus – located in the area where the nerve enters the brainstem.Cochlear Nucleiįibres from the cochlear nerve bifurcate and information is sent to the cochlear nuclei on each side of the brainstem: The first order neurons synapse at the ipsilateral cochlear nuclei.īy OpenStax College, via Wikimedia Commonsįig 2 – The spiral ganglion houses the cell bodies of the first order neurones in the auditory pathway.

For more information on the vestibulocochlear nerve, its anatomical course and function please read this article. The nerve enters the cranium through the internal acoustic meatus and travels a short distance (around 1 cm) to enter the brainstem at the cerebellopontine angle. This proximity is clinically relevant since lesions to this nerve will usually produce symptoms in both the auditory and vestibular components. The vestibular nerve joins the cochlear nerve entering the internal acoustic meatus, and from this point onward they are collectively called vestibulocochlear nerve. Their central axons form the main component of the cochlear nerve. These neurones receive information from hair cells in the Organ of Corti and travel within the osseous spiral lamina. The spiral ganglion houses the cell bodies of the first order neurons (ganglion refers to a collection of cell bodies outside the central nervous system).

Auditory nerve psychology definition