Family Nurse Practitioner Exam

Which cranial nerve is evaluated during the Rinne test?

1. CN VII

2. CN VIII

3. CN IX and X

4. CN XI

The correct answer is: CN VIII

The Rinne test is designed to assess hearing and specifically evaluates the function of the cochlea and the auditory nerve, which correspond to cranial nerve VIII, known as the vestibulocochlear nerve. This test compares air conduction to bone conduction of sound. During the test, a vibrating tuning fork is placed on the mastoid bone (to assess bone conduction) and then in front of the ear canal (to assess air conduction). The fact that the Rinne test focuses on differentiating between conductive and sensorineural hearing loss directly correlates to the function of cranial nerve VIII, which is responsible for transmitting sound and balancing information from the inner ear to the brain. Proper functioning of this nerve is crucial for the auditory system, making it the key cranial nerve evaluated in this test.