Cranial Nerve III, IV, and VI Flashcards
What happens to the eyes as you lateral flex head
The eyes rotate
what cranial nerves control eye muscles involved in movment
Oculomotor III
Trochlear IV
Abducens VI
What is the most common symptom of damage to these nerves
Double vision
What nerve constricts the pupil
Oculomotor
How many intrinsic ocular muscles are there
3
How many extraocular muscles are there
6
What is the only cranial nerve to exit the brainstem dorsally
Trochlear
What component of the oculomotor nerve innervates the iris sphincter and ciliary muscle
Parasympathetic component
What does the iris sphincter do
Contracts to constrict the pupil
What does the ciliary muscle contracting do to the lens
Causes the lens to become convex or fat
What does the ciliary muscle control
Accommodation of the lens
What is the radial pupillary dilator muscle innervated by
The ascending cervical sympathetic system
What does the radial pupillary dilator do
Dilates pupil
What does the ciliary muscle relaxing do to the lens
Causes the lens to flatten out
When viewing a distant object what does the lens look like
The lens is flat to allow the light to bend to the retina
When viewing a near object what does the lens look like
The lens is convex or fat to allow the light to be bent even more to hit the retina
How is light coming from far objects oriented
Parallel
How is light coming from near objects oriented
Straight but diverging lines
What are the 3 antagonistic pairs of extraocular muscles
- Lateral and medial recti
- Superior and inferior recti
- Superior and inferior obliques
What 3 axes does movement occur in
Horizontal, vertical, and torsional
What is torsional movement
Twisting movements that bring the top of the eye toward the nose or away from the nose
What extraocular muscles does the oculomotor nerve control (4)
- Medial rectus
- Inferior rectus
- Superior rectus
- Inferior oblique
What extraocular muscle does the trochlear nerve control
Superior oblique
What extraocular muscle does the abducens nerve control
Lateral rectus
Where is the oculomotor nucleus
In the midbrain at the level of the mesencephalic reticular formation (superior colliculus and red nucleus)
Where is the trochlear nucleus
Slightly caudal to the oculomotor nucleus
Where is the abducens nucleus
In the pons at the level of the paramedian pontine reticular formation, adjacent to the fasciculus of the facial nerve
Where is the oculomotor nerve at risk of damage
When it travels between the superior cerebellar artery and in posterior cerebral artery
Why is the oculomotor nerve at risk of damage passing through these vessels
If hemorrhage occurs the nerve can become compressed
What nuclei travel within the oculomotor nucleus (4)
- Dorsal nucleus (inferior rectus)
- Intermediate nucleus (inferior oblique)
- Medial nuclei
- Ventral nucleus (medial rectus)
What are the 2 nuclei that are part of the oculomotor nuclear complex but aren’t within the oculomotor nucleus
- Edinger-Westphal nucleus (parasympathetics)
2. Central caudal nucleus (levator palpebrae superioris)
What are the characteristic deficits of CN III damage (3)
- Impairment of eye movements
- Drooping of eyelids (ptosis)
- Pupillary dilation
What is effected when there is impairment of eye movements
Extraocular muscles
What is effected when there is drooping of the eyelids
Levator palpebrae superioris
What is effected when there is pupillary dilation
Iris sphincter muscle