Brainstem Tutorial Notes

Question 1

What are the motor components?

Answer 1

Somatic motor nuclei (most medial), Special Visceral Motor nuclei and autonomic/visceral (parasympathetic) motor supply (most lateral)

Question 2

Name the cranial nerves with somatic motor components, their function and associated nuclei

Answer 2

CNIII - Oculomotor, supplies the eye and oculomotor nuclei.

CNIV - Trochlear, supplies the eye, and trochlear nuclei.

CNVI - Abducens, supplies the eye and
CNXII - Hypoglossal, supplies the tongue and hypoglossal nuclei

Question 3

Name the cranial nerves with special visceral motor components, their function and associated nuclei

Answer 3

CNV - Trigeminal, supplies jaw muscle and trigeminal motor nuclei.
CNVII - Facial nerve, face muscles and facial motor nuclei.

IX - Glossopharyngeal, supplies stylopharyngeus and nucleus ambiguus.

X - Vagus, Supplies swallowing and phonation muscles and originates from nucleus ambiguus.

XI - Accessory nerve, supplies SCM and Trapezius, arises from nucleus ambiguus.

Question 4

Name the cranial nerves with autonomic/visceral (parasympathetic) motor components, their function and associated nuclei

Answer 4

CNIII - Oculomotor, supplies pupil and accommodation. Originates from edinger-westphall nucleus.

CNVII - Facial Nerve, Salivation for submandibular and sublingual. Superior salivatory nuclei.

CNIX - Glossophayngeal (salivation of parotid gland), inferior salivatory nuclei.

CNX - Vagus, supplies heart muscle and SM in glands in lungs and gut. Dorsal motor nucleus of vagus.

Question 5

Name the cranial nerves with somatic sensory components, their function and associated nuclei

Answer 5

CNV - Trigeminal, Trigeminal mesocephalic nuclei. Recieves proprioception and jaw jerk info.

CNV - Trigeminal, trigeminal principle nucleus and receives vibration and light touch info.

CNV - Trigeminal, Trigeminal spinal nucleus. Recieves pain, temp and touch info

Question 6

Name the cranial nerves with special somatic sensory components, their function and associated nuclei

Answer 6

CNII - Optic nerve which recieves vision info, travels to lateral geniculate nucleus.

CNVIII - Vestibulocochlear nerve, recieves hearing and balance info and travels to vestibulocochlear nucleus.

Question 7

Name the cranial nerves with visceral sensory components, their function and associated nuclei

Answer 7

VII - Facial nerve, recieves info of taste from anterior tongue To solitary nucleus.

IX - Glossopharyngeal, recieves info of taste from posterior tongue and input from chemo/baro-receptors. To solitary nucleus.

X - Vagus, taste from epiglottis and input from chemo/baro-receptors to solitary nucleus