Tinnitus 911 does it Work : I believe the sounds you're hearing are due to impaired functions of the auditory (hearing) nerve, which originates in the inner ear. This 'vestibulocochlear' nerve is fed by tiny branches of the basilar artery, located at the base of the brain stem. This artery is formed by the joining of the vertebral arteries running along either side of the neck and spine. It feeds many cranial nerves (ie, those that originate in the brain) including the trigeminal nerve, which is responsible for debilitating facial pain.