Cranial Nerves

Question 1

#1
Cranial Nerve I

Answer 1

OLFACTORY

Sensory component: Smell

Motor component: none

Located: left behind in the nasal epithelium

Question 2

#2
Cranial Nerve II

Answer 2

OPTIC

Sensory component: Vision

Motor component: none

Location: Short stalk projecting rostrally from the optic chiasm, the site of decussation for visual information from the nasal retina

Question 3

#3
Cranial Nerve III

Answer 3

OCULOMOTOR

Sensory component: Sensation of eye movements

Motor component: eye movements, ie: up, down, medial & pupil constriction

Location: Enters the ventral surface of the brain at the medial edge of the cerebral peduncles.

Question 4

#4
Cranial Nerve IV

Answer 4

TROCHLEAR

Sensory component: Sensation of eye movements

Motor component: eye movements (rotation around rostrocaudal axis)

Location: Exits dorsal brainstem and is visible from the sides as it proceeds ventrally between the cerebellum and the cerebral hemispheres.

Question 5

#5
Cranial Nerve V

Answer 5

TRIGEMINAL

Sensory component: Sensation from skin of face, nose, and mouth including mucus membranes & teeth

Motor component: chewing, swallowing; controls muscle of mastication

Location: Thick fiber bundle at extreme lateral edge of brainstem, where the medulla meets the pons.

Question 6

#6
Cranial Nerve VI

Answer 6

ABDUCENS

Sensory component: Sensation of eye movements

Motor component: eye lateral movements

Location: One of three nerves along juncture between the pons and medulla. Most medial.

Question 7

#7
Cranial Nerve VII

Answer 7

FACIAL

Sensory component: Taste from anterior two -thirds of tongue, visceral sensations from head

Motor component: Facial expressions, crying, salivation, dilation of blood vessels in head

Location: One of three nerves along juncture between the pons and medulla. Between the abducens and the vestibulochlear nerve

Question 8

#8
Cranial Nerve VIII

Answer 8

VESTIBULOCOCHLEAR

Sensory component: Hearing, equilibrium, balance

Motor component: none

Location: One of three nerves along juncture between the pons and medulla. Most lateral . Enters rostral medulla at two adjacent sites.

Question 9

#9
Cranial Nerve IX

Answer 9

GLOSSOPHARYNGEAL

Sensory component: Taste and other sensations from throat and posterior one-third of tongue

Motor component: Swallowing, salivation, dilation of blood vessels

Location: Caudal to the vestibulocochlear nerve

Question 10

#10
Cranial Nerve X

Answer 10

VAGUS

Sensory component: Taste; sensations from neck, thorax & abdomen

Motor component: Swallowing, control of larynx, parasymphathetic innervation of heart & viscera

Location: On lateral aspect of the medulla, caudal to glossopharyngeal nerve.

Question 11

#11
Cranial Nerv XI

Answer 11

SPINAL ACCESSORY

Sensory component: none

Motor component: shoulder & head movements, parasympathetic to viscera

Location: Forms a line running along the rostral-caudal axis on the lateral medulla, just rostral to the spinal cord.

Question 12

#12
Cranial Nerve XII

Answer 12

HYPOGLOSSAL

Sensory component: sensation from tongue & muscles

Motor component: tongue movement

Location: Between ventral midline of brainstem and spinal accessory of nerve.