Cranial Nerve Nuclei

Question 1

What cranial nerve nuclei are found near the midline?

Answer 1

III
IV
VI
XII

Question 2

What cranial nerve has its nucleus in the superior colliculus of the midbrain?

Answer 2

III

Question 3

What cranial nerve has its nucleus in the inferior colliculus of the midbrain?

Answer 3

IV

Question 4

Where does the somatic motor and the parasympathetic motor fibres in CN III originate?

Answer 4

Somatic motor - oculomotor nucleus

Parasympathetics - EW nucleus

Question 5

Where does CN XI arise?

Answer 5

The cervical spinal cord.

Question 6

What are the 3 parts of the trigeminal nucleus and what are their functions?

Answer 6

Mesencephalic nucleus - proprioception.
Pontine trigeminal nucleus - discriminative touch, vibration
Spinal nucleus - pain, temp

Question 7

Where does the trigeminal nucleus sit in the brainstem?

Answer 7

From the midbrain to the upper 2 segments of the c-spine

Question 8

What do the superior and inferior salivatory nuclei do?

Answer 8

Parasympathetic efferents to ganglia of salivatory glands

Question 9

What cranial nerves go to the superior and inferior salivatory nuclei?

Answer 9

VII and IX

Question 10

What does the solitary nucleus do?

Answer 10

Taste and visceral sensation (e.g. carotid sinus/body, aortic arch and viscera)

Question 11

What nerves go to the solitary nucleus?

Answer 11

VII, IX and X

Question 12

What does the nucleus ambiguus do?

Answer 12

Motor efferents to pharynx, larynx and upper oesophagus.

Question 13

What nerves go to the nucleus ambiguus?

Answer 13

IX and X

Question 14

What are the 2 parts of the solitary nucleus?

Answer 14

Gustatory nucleus (taste)
Commisural nucleus (visceral afferents)

Question 15

What is the cranial nerve equivalent of the corticospinal tract and is it mostly unilaterally or bilaterally innervated?

Answer 15

Corticobulbar tract

Mostly bilaterally innervated

Question 16

Where do signals for cranial nerves with parasympathetic efferents come from and why?

Answer 16

Hypothalamus

It receives lots of info about the body’s physiological status

Question 17

What are the functions of the reticular formation?

Answer 17

Integrate cranial nerve reflexes
Participate in conduction and modulation of pain
Influence voluntary movement
Regulate autonomic activity
Integrate respiration and sleep
Activates the cerebral cortex

Question 18

What are the 3 functions of the basal ganglia?

Answer 18

Facilitate purposeful movement
Inhibit unwanted movements
Role in posture and muscle tone

Question 19

What are the 4 nuclei that the facial nerve goes to?

Answer 19

Facial motor
Salivatory
Spinal trigeminal
Solitary

Question 20

What are the 4 nuclei that the glossopharyngeal nerve goes to?

Answer 20

Solitary
Spinal trigeminal
Inferior salivatory
Nucleus ambiguus

Question 21

What are the 4 nuclei that the vagus nerve goes to?

Answer 21

Dorsal nucleus of the vagus (parasympathetic motor)
Solitary
Spinal trigeminal
Nucleus ambiguus