Cranial Nerves

Question 1

Cranial Nerve I/Type/Testing

Answer 1

• Olfactory Nerve;
• Sensory: smell;
• Test by identifying familiar odors

Question 2

Cranial Nerve II/Type/Testing

Answer 2

• Optic Nerve;
• Sensory: sight;
• Test by identifying objects on poster

Question 3

Cranial Nerve III/Type/Testing

Answer 3

• Oculomotor Nerve;
• Motor: superior, medial, and inferior recti and inferior oblique musces, smooth muscle of eye (autonomic);
• test by following object horizontally, upward, and diagonally

Question 4

Cranial Nerve IV/Type/Testing

Answer 4

• Trochlear Nerve;
• Motor: Superior oblique muscle;
• test by following object inferiorly (downward gaze)

Question 5

Cranial Nerve V/Type/Testing

Answer 5

• Trigeminal Nerve;
• mixed- touch to skin of face, mouth, and anterior tongue and muscles of mastication;
• test by sharp/dull sensations to face and jaw movements

Question 6

Cranial Nerve VI/Type/Testing

Answer 6

• Abducens Nerve;
• motor: lateral rectus muscle of eye;
• test by abducting eyes

Question 7

Cranial Nerve VII/Type/Testing

Answer 7

• Facial nerve;
• mixed- taste with anterior tongue, facial muscles/glands (autonomic);
• test by differentiating between sweet and salty, copying facial expressions

Question 8

Cranial Nerve VIII/Type/Testing

Answer 8

• Vestibulocochlear Nerve;
• Sensory- balance and hearing;
• test by ticking watch (18-24 inches)

Question 9

Cranial Nerve IX/Type/Testing

Answer 9

• Glossopharyngeal Nerve
• Mixed- touch/pain to posterior toungue and pharnyx, taste to posterior tongue, muscles of pharynx/parotid gland (autonomic)
• Test by differentiating sour/bitter on posterior tongue/gag reflex

Question 10

Cranial Nerve X/Type/Testing

Answer 10

• Vagus Nerve
• Mixed: pain to pharynx, larynx, bronchi, tase to tongue and epiglottis, muscles of soft palate/thoracic and abdominal viscera (autonomic)
• Test by gag reflex/saying “Ahhh” (soft palate movement)

Question 11

Cranial Nerve XI/Type/Testing

Answer 11

• Accessory Nerve
• Motor: SCM and traps
• Test by resisting shoulder shrug

Question 12

Cranial Nerve XII/Type/Testing

Answer 12

• Hypoglossal Nerve
• Motor: muscles of tongue
• Test by tonge protrusion- if injured tongue deviates toward injured side