Cranial Nerve Exam Flashcards
When are cranial nerves a priority to assess
- testing should occur in the presence of known or suspected injury to the brain, brainstem, or upper cervical spine
- if there is a known or suspected progressive disease that affects the brain or brainstem
- if pt reports any sudden or unexplained change in any function controlled by a cranial nerve
- if pt demonstrates any side-to-side differences in facial expression
- if there is any notable atrophy in the muscles of the face or lateral neck
Mnemonic to remember the order and sensory/motor function of the cranial nerves
- Order: oh (olfactory) oh (optic) oh (oculomotor) to (trochlear) touch (trigeminal) and (abducens) feel (facial) very (vestibulocochlear) good (glossopharyngeal) velvet (vagus) so (spinal accessory) heaven (hypoglossal)
- Sensory/Motor Function: some say marry money but my brother says big brains matter more
How to asses CN 1/olfactory
- pt closes eyes
- using distinctive smelling items (2-3), ask pt to smell the items one at a time for each nostril
- pt should be able to identify the odor & strength of odor should be equal side-to-side
How to assess CN 2/optic
- using a Snellen eye chart ask pt to read the lines with progressively small letters
- using a penlight shine light into pt’s eye, normal response is constriction of the contralateral pupil
Describe the different possible findings from a pupillary light reflex exam
- CN 2/optic lesion: absent ips direct with absent contra consensual and intact contra direct with ips consensual
- CN 3/oculomotor: absent ips direct with intact contra consensual and intact contra direct with absent ips consensual
Pupillary light reflex
CN 2: light shined on lesion side there is no constriction of either eye
CN 3: light shined in lesion side no constrict and light shined on non lesion side the lesion eye with not have consensual constrict
How to assess CN 3/oculomotor
- assess ability to elevate both eyelids, if lesion drooping eyelid does not retract with upward gaze
- using a penlight shine light into pt’s eye & assess constriction of ipsilateral pupil
Describe the near triad accommodation reflex
- Accomodation: change in the shape of the lens of the eye through action of the ciliary muscle following activation of the parasympathetic nucleus of CN 3
- Convergence: adduction of the eyes bilaterally through activation of main nucleus of CN 3
- Miosis: constriction of the pupil due to activation of parasympathetic nucleus of CN 3
Describe eccentric gaze holding nystagmus
- to avoid normal physiologic nystagmus the edge of the iris in the adducting eye should align vertically with the superior medial edge of the lower eyelid
- in this position the eyes are deviated about 30 degrees from center & only pathologic nystagmus will present at this eye position
How will the eye present with a CN 3/oculomotor lesion vs a CN 4 lesion vs a CN 6/abducens lesion
- CN 3/oculomotor: eye is deviated down and outward
- CN 4/trochlear: eye is deviated slightly upward
- CN 6/abducens: eye is deviated inward/adducted
CNs that control the eye movement during an H test
- Eyes looking right: R eye = CN 6, L eye = CN 3
- Eyes looking left: R eye = CN 3 , L eye = CN 6
- Eyes looking down & right: R eye = CN 3, L eye = CN 4
- Eyes looking down & left: R eye = CN 4, L eye = CN 3
- Eyes looking up & right: R eye = CN 3, L eye = CN 3
- Eyes looking up & left: R eye = CN 3, L eye = CN 3
What eye muscle does CN 4/trochlear and CN 6/abducens innervate
- CN 4/trochlear innervates superior oblique
- CN 6/abducens innervates lateral rectus
Lists the muscles of the eye, their actions, and their innervations
- Medial rectus: abducts eye, CN 3
- Lateral rectus: adducts eye, CN 6
- Superior rectus: elevates abducted eye, CN 3
- Inferior rectus: depresses abducted eye, CN 3
- Superior oblique: depresses adducted eye, CN 4
- Inferior oblique: elevates adducted eye, CN 3
Coordination of eye movements via the medial longitudinal fasciculus (MFL)
- coordination of 2 eyes is maintained via synergistic action of the extraocular muscles
- requires connections among the cranial nerve nuclei that control eye movements
- the eye moves toward the right & the MFL then conveys a signal from the eye muscle nucleus to the left oculomotor nucleus
- the left oculomotor nerve then activates a muscle on the left eye to move it in the same direction as the right eye
- signals conveyed by the MLF coordinate head & eye movements by providing bilateral connections among vestibular & ocular motor nuclei in the brainstem & spinal accessory nerve nuclei in the spinal cord
Vision effects due to an acute vs chronic lesion to CN 3, 4, 6, or the MLF
- if disorder is acute, double vision will occur bc images of objects will not coincide one the retinas
- if the disorder is chronic, the nervous system may suppress vision from the deviant eye & double vision will be absent, however with the suppression of vision from one eye the person will lose depth perception
How to assess the sensory component for CN 5/trigeminal
- with pt’s eyes closed use a cotton ball to lightly touch the pt’s face
- areas to touch: forehead, cheeks, & lateral jaw
- the pt should feel the touch equally on the right & left sides
How to assess the motor component for CN 5/trigeminal
- palpate the pt’s masseter & temporalis muscles bilaterally for strength of contraction as the pt clenches their jaw
- ask the pt to hold the jaw open slightly & then provide resistance to mandibular closing or lateral motion
- pt should be able to hold the position against moderate force
Describe the corneal “blink” reflex
- ophthalmic neurons (CN V1) of the trigeminal nerve provide the afferent (sensory) limb of the corneal blink reflex
- when the cornea is touched info is relayed to the spinal trigeminal nucleus via the trigeminal nerve
- from the spinal triigeminal nucleus interneurons convey info bilaterally to the facial nerve (CN 7) nuclei
- CN 7 then reflexively activate muscles to close the eyelids of both eyes
How to assess CN 7/facial
- assess motor function by asking the pt to smile, frown, elevate or depress the eyebrows, & puff out the cheeks; assess for symmetry
- assess sensory function (taste) ask pt to close their eyes & stick out their tongue; place something sweet on the anterior portion of the tongue & ask th pet to identify the taste
Describe the CN 7/facial motor pathways
- Corticobrainstem tracts provide bilateral signals to the region of the facial nucleus that innervates the muscles in the upper face (ex: both the R/L motor cortex send signals to the R facial nerve to close the R eye)
- Corticobrainstem tracts send contralateral signals to the region of the facial nucleus that innervates muscles of the lower face (ex: L motor cortex sends signals to the R facial nerve which then signals the muscles that move the R side of the lips)
Describe the presentation of a CN 7/facial lesion
- lesion results in ipsilateral paralysis of all facial expression muscles
- corticobulbar fibers from cerebral cortex project to the facial motor nucleus in the brainstem
- dorsal 1/2 of the facial motor nucleus receives fibers from both sides of the cortex which supplies motor innervation to both sids of the face via CN 7
- ventral 1/2 of the facial motor nucleus receives corticobulbar fibers from the contralateral cerebral cortex which supplies motor innervation to the contralateral lower half of the face via CN 7
Presentation of a stroke versus lesion to the facial nerve
- Stroke: only the contralateral lower half of the face will be affected
- Facial nerve lesion: one whole side of the face will be affected
What other functions does the facial nerve include
- Lesions may also result in impaired lacrimation (tear production/lubricate the eyes), impaired taste in the anterior 2/3 of the tongue, and/or impaired corneal “blink” reflex
How to assess CN 8/vestibulocochlear
- pt’s eyes should be closed, hearing can be assessed by rubbing the pads of your thumb & index finger together next to one of the pt’s ears
- bilaterally symmetrical hearing is expected unless a known hearing loss is present
- test one ear at a time