Cranial Nerves

1. Cranial Nerves D I through XII

2. Olfactory Nerve I • Sense of smell • Damage causes impaired sense of smell

3. Optic Nerve II • Provides vision • Damage causes blindness in visual field

4. Oculomotor Nerve III • Somatic and Autonomic motor function • Eye movement (Superior, inferior, medial rectus muscles and inferior oblique muscle), opening of eyelid (levator palpebrae superioris), constriction of pupil (circular muscle), focusing (ciliary muscle and accomodation) • Damage causes drooping eyelid, dilated pupil, double vision, difficulty focusing and inability to move eye in certain directions

5. Trochlear Nerve IV • Eye movement (superior oblique muscle) • Damage causes double vision and inability to rotate eye inferolaterally

6. Trigeminal Nerve V • Ophthalmic branch – sensations from nasal cavity, skin of forehead, upper eyelid, eyebrow, nose • Maxillary branch – sensations from lower eyelid, upper lips and gums, teeth of the maxilla, cheek, nose, palate, pharynx • Mandibular branch – sensations from teeth of the mandible, lower gums and lips, palate, tongue. Motor function of temporalis and masseter muscles. • Damage produces loss of sensation and impaired chewing

7. Abducens Nerve VI • Provides eye movement (lateral rectus m.) • Damage results in inability to rotate eye laterally and at rest eye rotates medially

8. Facial Nerve VII • Somatic Motor - facial expressions • Autonomic Motor - salivary and lacrimal glands, mucous membranes of nasal and palatine mucosa • Special Sensory - taste on anterior 2/3’s of tongue • Damage produces sagging facial muscles and disturbed sense of taste (no sweet and salty)

9. Branches of Facial Nerve Clinical test: Test anterior 2/3’s of tongue with substances such as sugar, salt, vinegar, and quinine; test response of tear glands to ammonia fumes; test motor functions by asking subject to close eyes, smile, whistle, frown, raise eyebrows, etc.

10. Vestibulocochlear Nerve VIII • Special Sensory • Provides hearing (cochlear branch) and sense of balance (vestibular branch) • Damage produces deafness, dizziness, nausea, loss of balance and nystagmus

11. Glossopharyngeal Nerve IX • Somatic motor – Swallowing and voice production via pharyngeal muscles • Autonomic motor - salivation, gagging, control of BP and respiration • Sensations from posterior 1/3 of tongue including taste • Sensations from baroreceptors and chemoreceptors • Damage results in loss of bitter and sour taste and impaired swallowing, blood pressure anomalies (with CN X).

12. Vagus Nerve X • Sensations from skin at back of ear, external acoustic meatus, part of tympanic membrane, larynx, trachea, espophagus, thoracic and abdominal viscera • Sensations from bararoceptors and chemoreceptors • Special sensory – taste from epiglottis and pharynx • Somatic motor – Swallowing and voice production via pharyngeal muscles • Autonomic motor – smooth muscle of abdominal viscera, visceral glands secretions, relaxation of airways, and normal or decreased heart rate. • Damage causes hoarseness or loss of voice, impaired swallowing, GI dysfunction, blood pressure anomalies (with CN IX), fatal if both are cut

13. Accessory Nerve IX • Swallowing, head, neck and shoulder movement via trapezius and sternocleidomastoid and pharyngeal muscles • Damage causes impaired head, neck, shoulder movement

14. Hypoglossal Nerve XII • Tongue movements for speech, food manipulation and swallowing • If both are damaged – can’t protrude tongue • If one side is damaged – tongue deviates towards injured side

15. Cranial Nerve Disorders • Trigeminal neuralgia (tic douloureux) • recurring episodes of intense stabbing pain in trigeminal nerve area (near mouth or nose) • pain triggered by touch, drinking, washing face • treatment may require cutting nerve • Bell’s palsy • disorder of facial nerve causes paralysis of facial muscles on one side • may appear abruptly with full recovery within 3-5 weeks