Saccular nerve - Cranial nerves - Vestibulocochlear nerve [VIII] - e-Anatomy
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Saccular nerve

Nervus saccularis

Definition

The saccular nerve afferents arise mainly from the inferior shank-like part of the macula of saccule. They course in the inferior branch of vestibular nerve, along with afferents from posterior semicircular canal. Some remaining saccular nerve afferents also arise from the superior hook-like part of the macula of saccule. They course in the superior branch of vestibular nerve, along with afferents from horizontal and anterior semicircular canal and the utricle.

The neurons in the superior and inferior branches of vestibular nerve reach the superior and inferior divisions of vestibular ganglion, respectively.

References

Text written by Muhammad A. Javaid, MD, PhD © 2022 IMAIOS.

  • Iwasaki, S., Chihara, Y., Smulders, Y.E., Burgess, A.M., Halmagyi, G.M., Curthoys, I.S. and Murofushi, T. (2009). The role of the superior vestibular nerve in generating ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials to bone conducted vibration at Fz. Clinical Neurophysiology, 120(3), pp.588-593 & Fig 1.

  • Himmelein, S., Lindemann, A., Sinicina, I., Horn, A.K.E., Brandt, T., Strupp, M. and Hüfner, K. (2017). Differential Involvement during Latent Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Infection of the Superior and Inferior Divisions of the Vestibular Ganglia: Implications for Vestibular Neuritis. Journal of Virology. 91(14), e00331-17. https://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.00331-17

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