Vestibular nerve

The vestibular nerve is one of the terminal branches of the vestibulocochlear nerve (along with the cochlear nerve). It is the nerve of equilibration which also provides information on body position, and the ventral root of the vestibulocochlear nerve. 

Sensory, motor, or both : sensory

Origin : vestibular ganglion

Route / Reports : fundus of internal acoustic meatus, ventral to cochlear nerve

Distribution : superior: utriculoampullary nerve (utricular nerve, anterior ampullary nerve and lateral ampullary nerve), inferior: saccular nerve and posterior ampullary nerve

Description :

The vestibular nerve originates, along with the cochlear nerve, from the vestibulocochlear nerve, when the latter passes through the cochlear area at the fundus of internal acoustic meatus. Together, they form the dorsal root of the vestibulocochlear nerve. The fibers of the vestibular nerve then divide into two groups: the superior group and the inferior group.

The superior group corresponds to the utriculoampullary nerve. This is composed of the utricular nerve, innervating the macula of utricle, the anterior ampullary nerve, and the lateral ampullary nerve, innervating the ampullae membranaceae of the anterior and lateral semicircular ducts.

The inferior group divides into the saccular nerve, innervating the macula of the saccule, and the posterior ampullary nerve, innervating the membranous ampulla of the posterior semicircular duct.