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Updated: Feb 16, 2026

In Vivo Morphometric Analysis of Human Cranial Nerves Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Menière's Disease Ears and Normal Hearing Ears
Published on: February 21, 2018
A Comparison of Cochlear Nerve Size in Normal-Hearing Adults Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Christoper Heining1, Theofano Tikka1, Steve Colley2
1Department of Ear, Nose and Throat, University Hospitals Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
Objective:
Cochlear implantation is a clinical and cost-effective treatment for severe hearing loss. Cochlear nerve size assessment by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been investigated for use as a prognostic indicator following cochlear implantation. This study aimed to further that research by assessing nerve size in normal-hearing adults for symmetry.
Materials And Methods:
Patients with tinnitus presenting to our center retrospectively had their nerve size assessed by MRI.
Results:
The study found no significant differences between right and left cochlear nerves in normal-hearing adults, supporting our hypothesis of symmetry in these individuals. This was a previously unproven and uninvestigated hypothesis.
Conclusion:
Nerve size assessment should remain an active area of research in otological disease.
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