US Medical Term · anatomy
Auditory Nerve
Nervio auditivo
Also: Nervio coclear (regional variant)
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Auditory Nerve |
| Spanish (Español) | Nervio auditivo |
| Chinese (中文) | 聽神經 |
| Korean (한국어) | 청신경 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Dây thần kinh thính giác |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Auditory nerve |
| Portuguese (Português) | Nervo auditivo |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | เส้นประสาทหู |
| Japanese (日本語) | 聴神経 |
What it means
The auditory nerve, also called the vestibulocochlear nerve or the eighth cranial nerve, carries sound and balance information from the inner ear to the brain. It has two divisions: the cochlear nerve, which transmits hearing signals from the cochlea, and the vestibular nerve, which sends balance signals from the inner ear's balance organs. Sound vibrations converted into electrical signals by the cochlea's hair cells travel up the cochlear nerve to the brain's auditory processing areas. Conditions that damage the auditory nerve — such as acoustic neuroma (a benign tumor on the nerve), viral infections, or certain toxic medications — can cause one-sided hearing loss, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), or dizziness.
How to say it
Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:
My audiologist said my hearing loss is due to nerve damage in the auditory nerve.
Mi audiólogo dijo que mi pérdida auditiva se debe a daño nervioso en el nervio auditivo.
The MRI found a small tumor growing on my auditory nerve.
La resonancia magnética encontró un pequeño tumor en mi nervio auditivo.
Could the ringing in my ear be caused by damage to my auditory nerve?
¿Podría el zumbido en mi oído ser causado por daño en mi nervio auditivo?
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Sources
Last reviewed: September 2026