Cranial Nerves Flashcards
CN I exam?
History of chance in sensation of smell
Use odourants known to patient (OFFER scented bottles)
OLFACTORY
CN II exam?
Do you have glasses or contacts? Any changes in vision?
OFFER - Stellen’s chart (for acuity), Ishiharo plate (for colour), Fundoscopy.
Visual field confirmation test
Direct and consensual pupillary reflex
CN III, IV + VI exam?
- Motor - (CN III, IV + VI) H test for eye movements
(2. Parasympathetic - assessed by pupillary reflexes - for CN III)
CN V exam?
- Sensory - assess light touch (V1, V2 + V3 areas of face; opthalmic, maxillary, mandibular)
- Motor - assess the muscles of mastication
(3. Corneal reflex and jaw jerk reflexes - OFFER)
TRIGEMINAL
CN VII exam?
Any changes in taste?
1. Motor - facial muscles - assess facial muscle actions
OFFER (2. Taste - tongue anterior 2/3 - not tested)
OFFER (3. Parasympathetic - submandibular, sublingual and lacrimal glands - not tested)
FACIAL
CN VIII exam?
any changes in hearing or balance?
- Cochlear part - assess hearing (whisper, Rinne and Weber tests)
OFFER (2. Vestibular part - not tested)
VESTIBULO COCHLEAR
CN IX exam?
Change in taste? Offer salt water ideally
Open mouth, stick tongue out
OFFER (General sensory - post 1/3 of tongue - assessed by ‘gag’ reflex)
GLOSSOPHARYNGEAL
CN X exam?
Change in taste?
UVULA - say aaaa, should pull upwards. If deviates, will deviate away from side of lesion.
OFFER cough and swallow
1. Motor - assess action of soft palate
VAGUS
CN XI exam?
- Spinal accessory - motor - assess the strength of sternocleidomastoid and trapezius
- Cranial accessory - motor - pharyngeal and laryngeal muscles - assessed with vagus
Neck muscles - place hand on face, look towards hand.
Trapezius - push shoulders against hand.
ACCESSORY
CN XII exam?
Motor - tongue (test protrusion)
Stick tongue out. If deviates, will point towards side of lesion.
Place hand on cheek. Ask to push hand with tongue.
HYPOGLOSSAL
Special tests?
- Ophthalmoscopy
- Otoscopy
Movements exam?
- Head - atlanto-axial and atlanto-occipital joints
- Cervical and thoracocolumbar spine
- TM joint and mandible (lower jaw)
Palpation?
- Bone/cartilage in head, neck and spine
- TMJ, cricothyroid space
- Lymph nodes
Arterial pulses?
Carotid
Superficial temporal
Subclavian arteries
Assessing JVP?