Family Nurse Practitioner Exam

The Rinne and Weber tests are primarily used to assess which cranial nerve?

1. Cranial nerve 7

2. Cranial nerve 8

3. Cranial nerves 3, 4, and 6

4. Cranial nerves 9 and 10

The correct answer is: Cranial nerve 8

The Rinne and Weber tests are specifically utilized to evaluate auditory function, which is associated with cranial nerve 8, also known as the vestibulocochlear nerve. This nerve has two primary components: the cochlear nerve, which is responsible for hearing, and the vestibular nerve, which is responsible for balance. During the Rinne test, a tuning fork is placed on the mastoid bone and then near the ear canal to compare bone conduction to air conduction of sound. A normal finding indicates that air conduction is better than bone conduction, suggesting intact cochlear functionality attributed to cranial nerve 8. Similarly, the Weber test assesses the lateralization of sound perception between the two ears, helping determine whether hearing loss is conductive or sensorineural, both of which involve the function of the vestibulocochlear nerve. Other cranial nerves listed in the options have different primary functions. For example, cranial nerve 7 controls facial expressions and taste sensations; cranial nerves 3, 4, and 6 are involved in eye movement and focusing; and cranial nerves 9 and 10 manage functions related to swallowing and the gag reflex. Therefore, the assessment through the Rinne and Weber tests directly correlates to