Last edited: 9/11/2021

CN VIII: AUDITORY PATHWAY

Vestibulocochlear Nerve | Cranial Nerve VIII: Auditory Pathway Medical Editor: Sohani Kashi Puranic

OUTLINE
I) OVERVIEW III) AUDITORY PATHWAY IV) CLINICAL CORRELATION
II) MECHANISM OF HEARING (A) COCHLEA (A) ACOUSTIC SCHWANNOMA
(A) EVENTS IN OUTER EAR (B) COCHLEAR NERVE (B) OTOSCLEROSIS
(B) EVENTS IN MIDDLE EAR (C) DORSAL & VENTRAL COCHLEAR NUCLEI V) SUMMARY
(C) EVENTS IN INNER EAR (D) SUPERIOR OLIVARY NUCLEUS
VI) APPENDIX
(D) COCHLEAR NERVE (E) LATERAL LEMNISCUS
(F) INFERIOR COLLICULUS VII) REVIEW QUESTIONS
(G) MEDIAL GENICULATE NUCLEUS VIII) REFERENCES
(H) AUDITORY RADIATION
(I) AUDITORY CORTEX

I) OVERVIEW
Hearing is one of the special senses
The auditory system transmits the stimulus responsible
for hearing from the hearing receptor (Spiral Organ of
Corti) to the auditory area of the cerebral cortex
The following topics are discussed in detail:

II) MECHANISM OF HEARING

(A) EVENTS IN OUTER EAR (B) EVENTS IN MIDDLE EAR

▪ Malleus
▪ Incus
▪ Stapes
▪ Undergoes compression & decompression

(C) EVENTS IN INNER EAR

(1) Cochlea

▪ Part of Scala media/ Cochlear duct

▪ Glutamate stimulates efferent nerve endings

(2) Spiral Ganglion

(i) Structure
▪ Comprised of PSEUDO -UNIPOLAR NEURONS
▪ 2 processes:
Figure 1. Cochlea & Spiral Ganglion

(D) COCHLEAR NERVE

(1) Formation
Collection of the central processes from the spiral
ganglion form the Cochlear branch of Vestibulocochlear
Nerve/ Cochlear Nerve
It is the 8th Cranial Nerve
(2) Entry into Skull
Enters the brain by passing through a hole in the skull

▪ Present in the petrous part of the temporal bone

▪ CN VII (Facial nerve) also runs through Internal
Acoustic Meatus

Figure 2. Internal Acoustic Meatus

CN VIII: AUDITORY PATHWAY NEURO PHYSIOLOGY: Note #0 1 of 6

 III) AUDITORY PATHWAY

(A) COCHLEA

(1) Hair cells (2) Spiral ganglion

(B) COCHLEAR NERVE

(1) Entry into Skull (2) Destination

(i) Dorsal Cochlear Nuclei

(ii) Ventral Cochlear Nuclei

(C) DORSAL & VENTRAL COCHLEAR NUCLEI

(1) Dorsal Cochlear Nuclei (2) Ventral Cochlear Nuclei

Figure 3. Dorsal Cochlear Nuclei

(i) Cell types: Figure 4. Ventral Cochlear Nuclei

(a) Principal Cells (i) Subdivisions:

(b) Stellate Cells
(a) Ventral Posterior Cochlear Nucleus (VPCN)
(ii) Efferent Fibers: o Made of Octopus Cells

(b) Anterior Ventral Cochlear Nucleus (AVCN)

o Stellate cells
o Bushy cells
i. Spherical bushy cells
ii. Globular bushy cells

(ii) Efferent fibers

(a) Efferent fibers from VPCN

(b) Efferent fibers from AVCN

2 of 6 NEURO PHYSIOLOGY: Note #0 CN VIII: AUDITORY PATHWAY

 (D) SUPERIOR OLIVARY NUCLEUS
Another Protective Mechanism
(1) Components
Reticular Formation
(i) Medial Superior Olivary Complex
(ii) Lateral Superior Olivary Complex (i) Structure & Location
▪ Special sheet of gray matter
(2) Functions ▪ Located in midbrain, pons & medulla

(ii) Function in Auditory System

i. During very loud (high amplitude) sounds, it alerts
different parts of the CNS (cortex, cerebellum)
ii. Activates 2 nuclei that innervate 2 muscles
1. CN V (TRIGEMINAL N ERVE)
o Innervates Tensor tympani muscle

(i) Determines relative timing of sound stimuli

▪ Medial Superior Olivary Complex

(ii) Determines relative intensity of sound stimuli

▪ Lateral Superior Olivary Complex

(iii) Localization of sound stimuli 2. CN VII (F ACIAL N ERVE )

(iv) Protects hair cells from very loud sounds o Innervates Stapedius muscle
▪ Olivo- cochlear bundle

CN VIII: AUDITORY PATHWAY NEURO PHYSIOLOGY: Note #0 3 of 6

 (E) LATERAL LEMNISCUS (H) AUDITORY RADIATION
(1) Formation
▪ These go to specific parts of the Temporal Lobe
(i) Dorsal Acoustic Striae
(ii) Intermediate Acoustic Striae (I) AUDITORY CORTEX
(iii) Ventral Acoustic Striae
Temporal Lobe
(iv) Superior Olivary Nucleus
(v) Nucleus of Lateral Lemniscus (i) Primary Auditory Cortex
▪ Consists of Superior Temporal Gyrus
▪ Also called Transverse gyrus of Heschl
Tract is a bundle of axons within the
CNS (ii) Auditory Association Cortex
(iii) Wernicke’s Area
▪ Brodmann area: 22
There are cross-connections between the right and left
Nucleus of Lateral Lemniscus

(2) Termination Wernicke’s area is connected to

Broca’s area via Arcuate
Fasciculus
(F) INFERIOR COLLICULUS
There are cross-connections between the right and left
Inferior Colliculi Wernicke’s Area & Broca’s Area

(G) MEDIAL GENICULATE NUCLEUS

▪ These ascending fibers are called the Brachium of REMEMBER

the Inferior Colliculus
Wernicke’s Area- Sensory Speech Center
REMEMBER
Broca’s Area- Motor Speech Center
Medial Geniculate Nucleus- Auditory Pathway
Lateral Geniculate Nucleus- Visual Pathway

Figure 5. Wernicke's & Broca's Area

4 of 6 NEURO PHYSIOLOGY: Note #0 CN VIII: AUDITORY PATHWAY

 IV) CLINICAL CORRELATION
(A) ACOUSTIC SCHWANNOMA (B) OTOSCLEROSIS

Figure 8. Otosclerosis
(1) Causes

(i) Old age

(ii) Frequent infections
(iii) Congenital
(2) Pathogenesis
Figure 6. Pathogenesis of Acoustic Schwannoma Ear ossicles develop fibrosis
Ossicles become thickened, hard
(1) Pathogenesis
They don’t move/ vibrate as much in response to sound
Mutation in Neurofibromatosis Type-2 gene (NF-2) waves
(3) Clinical Features
▪ Merlin gets secreted out of the cell and binds to
(i) Deafness
CD44 on the cell membrane
▪ Conductive deafness

In NF-2 mutation, Merlin protein isn’t produced

A huge mass is formed around:

(i) Internal Acoustic Meatus

(ii) Cerebello-pontine angle

Figure 7. Location of Acoustic Schwannoma

(2) Clinical Features

(i) Tinnitus
(ii) Loss of hearing
▪ Sensorineural deafness

(iii) Vertigo
(iv) Balancing problems

CN VIII: AUDITORY PATHWAY NEURO PHYSIOLOGY: Note #0 5 of 6

 V) SUMMARY

The following structures are included in the sensory system:

(i) Spiral Organ of Corti

(ii) Cochlear Nerve
(iii) Dorsal & Ventral Cochlear nuclei
(iv) Superior Olivary Nucleus
(v) Trapezoid body
(vi) Lateral Lemniscus
(vii) Inferior Colliculus
(viii) Medial Geniculate Nucleus
(ix) Auditory Radiation
(x) Auditory Cortex

VI) APPENDIX

Figure 9. Auditory Pathway

VII) REVIEW QUESTIONS

4) Mutation in which gene causes Acoustic
1) Which structure is responsible for localization of Schwannoma?
sound? a) RB1
a) Cochlear nerve b) RB2
b) Lateral Lemniscus c) NF1
c) Superior Olivary Nucleus d) NF2
d) Inferior Colliculus 5) Which lobe of the cerebrum is involved in auditory
2) Which structure sends out auditory radiations to functions?
cortex? a) Frontal
a) Dorsal Cochlear Nucleus b) Parietal
b) Medial Geniculate Nucleus c) Temporal
c) Ventral Cochlear Nucleus d) Occipital
d) Lateral Geniculate Nucleus
3) Extensive ear wax accumulation causes which type VIII) REFERENCES
of deafness?
a) Conductive deafness
b) Sensorineural deafness
c) Mixed deafness
d) None of the above

6 of 6 NEURO PHYSIOLOGY: Note #0 CN VIII: AUDITORY PATHWAY