Cranial Nerves Flashcards
Name CNI and its functions.
entry/exit?
CN1 is the olfactory nerve, responsible for the special sense of smell.
No motor innervation.
Exits via the cribiform plate of the ethmoid bone.
Name CN2 and its functions.
Entry/exit?
CN2 is the optic nerve, responsible for the special sense of sight.
No motor innervation.
Exits via the optic canal, just above the superior orbital fissure.
Name CN3 and its functions.
Entry/exit?
CN3 is the oculomotor nerve, responsible for movement of most of the eye except for the superior oblique and lateral rectus muscles.
Exits via the superior orbital fissure, just lateral/inferior to the optic canal.
Name CNIV and its functions.
Entry/exit?
CN4 is the trochlear nerve, responsible for movement of the superior oblique.
Exits via the superior orbital fissure, just lateral/inferior to the optic canal.
Name CNV and its functions.
Entry/exits?
CN5 is the trigeminal nerve with 3 branches, responsible for sensory innervation of the forehead, partially the face, and motor/sensory of the mandible.
Exits via the superior orbital fissure, the foramen rotundum, and the foramen ovale.
What is V1 and its functions?
entry/exit?
V1 is the first branch of the trigeminal nerve, consisting of the NFL,
Nasociliary nerve - anterior/posterior ethmoidal nerves (nasal pain) and long/short ciliary nerve (eye pain)
Frontal nerve - (Supraorbital nerve and supratrochlear nerve)
Lacrimal nerve
Exits from the superior orbital fissure.
What is V2 and its functions?
V2 is the second branch of the trigeminal nerve, consisting of PIPZ
Posterior superior alveolar nerves (teeth)
Infraorbital nerve - (anterior and middle superior alveolar nerves (teeth)
Palatine nerves (greater and lesser)
Zygomatic nerves (has a branch to lacrimal)
Exits via the foramen rotundum.
What is V3 and its functions?
exit?
V3 is the third branch of the trigeminal nerve, consisting of ALIMB,
Auriculotemporal nerve
Lingual Nerve
Inferior Alveolar Nerve - (mental nerve)
Buccal Nerve
Muscular Branches
Exits via the foramen ovale.
Describe how trigeminal neuralgia occurs and the symptoms associated.
It is diagnosed by hypersensitivity to pain, occurring along any branch of CNV. Intense shooting pain triggered by light touch/cold air.
Most common cause is a blood vessel pushing against a branch.
What muscles does the mandibular branch (V3) innervate?
Muscles of mastication: masseter, temporalis, lateral/medial pterygoids.
Tensor veli palatini, tensor tympani, anterior belly of digastric, and mylohyoid.
How can I diagnose a lesion of the mandibular nerve?
Loss of bite strength, jaw deviation towards lesioned side when open.
How can I diagnose a lesion of CNI?
Loss of smell.
How can I diagnose a lesion of CN2?
Extreme loss of vision in one eye.
What occurs if I have a lesion in my optic tracts?
Example: A lesion in my left optic tract could result in a loss of right sided vision in both eyes.
What occurs if I have a lesion in my optic chiasm?
MC?
I would lose the lateral half of my visual field in each eye because my nasal retina would be affected.
MC: Pituitary tumor.
This is known as bitemporal hemianopia.
How does decussation work for my visual field?
The nasal/medial part of each visual field decussates at the optic chiasm.
This means the medial half of your right visual field is controlled by the left side of your brain.
However, the lateral half of your right visual field is controlled by the right half of your brain.
How does decussation work for my visual field?
The temporal visual field decussates at the optic chiasm.
This means the nasal visual field is controlled by the same side of your brain.
However, the temporal visual field is controlled by the opposite half of your brain.
Where do my optic nerves aggregate after the optic chiasm?
Lateral geniculate nuclei of the thalamus
What part of my retina receives the lower half of my visual field?
My upper retina.
Why is retinal detachment possible?
Double layering of the eye during development.
The retina is actually an extension of the diencephalon during development. The lens is made from epidermal tissue.
Why is smell related to memory?
Smell goes straight to the temporal lobe, skipping the thalamus.
What are the special senses?
Smell (CN1)
Vision (CN2)
Hearing/Balance (CN8)
Taste (CN7, 9, 10)
Why can our eye get melanoma?
It contains a pigmented epithelium.
What does a lesion of a single optic radiation cause?
Quadrantanopia
Loss of one quarter of the visual field, same side in both eyes (since decussation has already occurred)
What CN controls pupillary constriction?
CN3, oculomotor
What does an oculomotor lesion present as and the main causes?
An eye directed down and out.
MC: Posterior communicating artery aneurysm.
Other possibilities include a posterior cerebral and/or superior cerebellar artery aneurysm.
What does a trochlear lesion present as?
Double vision when looking in and down.
Patients will have a habitual head tilt away from affected side.
What does an abducens nerve lesion present as?
MC?
Double vision when looking laterally.
Eye cannot look laterally past the midline.
MC: Internal carotid aneurysm in the cavernous sinus.
What is an early sign of increased intracranial pressure?
Loss of parasympathetic innervation to an eye. CNIII will be compressed against the dura mater.
What does relaxation of the lens do?
Flattening.
What CNs does an inflamed cavernous sinus possibly affect?
CNIII, CNIV, V1, V2, and CNVI
Where is my visual cortex located?
Occipital lobe, specifically the striate area by the calcharine sulcus.
What is CNVII and its functions?
entry/exit?
The facial nerve, innervating the six branches of the facial muscles, sensory to the ear (partially), taste to the ANTERIOR tongue (2/3), and innervation to the lacrimal, submandibular, and sublingual glands.
It enters via the internal acoustic meatus and exits via the stylomastoid foramen.