Vestibulocochlear Nerve CR VIII

The Vestibulocochlear Nerve (CR VIII)

• The vestibulocochlear nerve provides innervation to the hearing apparatus of the ear and can be used to differentiate conductive and sensori-neural hearing loss using the Rinne and Weber tests.

• To carry out the Rinne test, place a sounding tuning fork on the patient’s mastoid process and then next to their ear and ask which is louder. A normal patient will find the second position louder.

• To carry out the Weber’s test, place the tuning fork base down in the centre of the patient’s forehead and ask if it is louder in either ear. Normally it should be heard equally in both ears.

you may test the nerve with whispering or ticking of clock