Cochlear nucleus

Cochlear nuclei
Cochlear nuclei
	Dissection of brainstem. Dorsal view. ("Cochlear nucleus" is labeled on left, fifth from the bottom.)
	Terminal nuclei of the cochlear nerve, with their upper connections. (Schematic.) The vestibular nerve with its terminal nuclei and their efferent fibers have been suppressed. On the other hand, in order not to obscure the trapezoid body, the efferent fibers of the terminal nuclei on the right side have been resected in a considerable portion of their extent. The trapezoid body, therefore, shows only one-half of its fibers, viz., those that come from the left. Vestibular nerve, divided at its entrance into the medulla oblongata; Cochlear nerve; Accessory nucleus of acoustic nerve; Tuberculum acusticum; Efferent fibers of accessory nucleus; Efferent fibers of tuberculum acusticum, forming the striae medullares, with 6’, their direct bundle going to the superior olivary nucleus of the same side; 6’’, their decussating bundles going to the superior olivary nucleus of the opposite side; Superior olivary nucleus; Trapezoid body; Trapezoid nucleus; Central acoustic tract (lateral lemniscus); Raphé; Pyramidal tracts; Fourth ventricle; Inferior peduncle;
Details
Part of	Brainstem
System	Auditory system
Artery	AICA
Identifiers
Latin	nuclei cochleares
MeSH	D017626
NeuroNames	720
NeuroLex ID	birnlex_1151
TA98	A14.1.04.247; A14.1.05.430
TA2	6006, 6007
FMA	72240
	Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy

The cochlear nucleus (CN) or cochlear nuclear complex comprises two cranial nerve nuclei in the human brainstem, the ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN) and the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN). The ventral cochlear nucleus is unlayered whereas the dorsal cochlear nucleus is layered. Auditory nerve fibers, fibers that travel through the auditory nerve (also known as the cochlear nerve or eighth cranial nerve) carry information from the inner ear, the cochlea, on the same side of the head, to the nerve root in the ventral cochlear nucleus. At the nerve root the fibers branch to innervate the ventral cochlear nucleus and the deep layer of the dorsal cochlear nucleus. All acoustic information thus enters the brain through the cochlear nuclei, where the processing of acoustic information begins. The outputs from the cochlear nuclei are received in higher regions of the auditory brainstem.