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Maddie’s Head and Neck > Cranial nerves > Flashcards

Cranial nerves Flashcards

1
Q

Describe the path of the Abducens nerve.

A

Pons > cavernous sinus > superior orbital fissure > orbit.

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2
Q

Describe the path of the optic nerve.

A

Rods and cones > optic canal > crossing and merging at the optic chiasm

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3
Q

Describe the path of the vagus nerve.

A

Medulla > jugular foramen > carotid sheath > thorax > abdomen.

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4
Q

Describe how you test for function of the Facial nerve.

A

Bell’s palsy, efferent limb of corneal reflex (blinking), hyperacusis, dry eyes, altered taste.

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5
Q

Describe the path of the occulomotor nerve.

A

Midbrain > cavernous sinus > superior orbital fissure > orbit.

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6
Q

Describe the causes of damage to the Trochlear nerve.

A

Congenital damage, head injury, stroke.

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7
Q

Describe the path of the vestibulocochlear nerve.

A

Pons > internal acoustic meatus > vestibulocochlear nerve > cochlear and semicircular canals.

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8
Q

Describe the intracranial branches of the facial nerve.

A

Chorda tympani, nerve to stapedius, greater pterosal.

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9
Q

Describe the branches formed by Vc.

A

Supraorbital and supratrochear.

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10
Q

Describe how you test for function of the Occulomotor nerve.

A

Examine for pupil and pupil size - “Down and Out position”

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11
Q

Describe the extracranial branches of the facial nerve.

A

Temporal, zygomatic, buccal, mandibular, cervical.

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12
Q

Describe the path of the olfactory nerve.

A

Olfactory nerves in roof of nasal cavity > cribriform foramina > olfactory bulb > olfactory plate > forebrain (temporal lobe).

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13
Q

Define presbyacusis.

A

Age-related hearing loss.

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14
Q

Describe the causes of damage to the Abducens nerve.

A

Raised ICP.

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15
Q

Describe the path of all three branches of the Trigeminal nerve.

A

Pons > trigeminal ganglion:
Va - cavernous sinus > superior orbital fissure > orbit
Vb - cavernous sinus > foramen rotundum > pterygopalatine fossa.
Vc - foramen ovale > infratemporal fossa

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16
Q

Describe how you test for function of the Abducens nerve.

A

Testing for weakness of lateral rectus.

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17
Q

Which emerge from the medulla?

A

Glossopharyngeal, vagus, hypoglossal, accessory.

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18
Q

Describe the make up of fibres in the Facial nerve.

A

Special sensory: taste from anterior 2/3 tongue.
Parasympathetic: lacrimal, mucosal and salivary glands.
Motor: muscles of facial expression and stapedius.

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19
Q

Describe the causes of damage to the Facial nerve.

A

Birth trauma, facial lacerations, middle ear injury, basilar skull fractures.

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20
Q

Describe the path of the facial nerve including where it’s branches originate.

A

Pons > internal acoustic meatus > petrous part of the temporal bone > 3 intracranial branches within the petrous bone > exits stylomastoid foramen > 5 extracranial branches.

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21
Q

Describe the make up of fibres in the Glossopharyngeal nerve.

A

General sensory: palatine tonsils, posterior 1/3 tongue, oropharynx, middle ear, tympanic membrane, carotid day and sinus.
Special sensory: taste posterior 1/3 tongue.
Parasympathetic: parotid gland.
Motor: one muscle of swallowing.

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22
Q

Describe how you test for function of the Optic nerve.

A

Test visual acuity with a Snellen chart.

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23
Q

Describe how you test for function of the Glossopharyngeal nerve.

A

Afferent limb of gag reflex.

24
Q

Which emerge from the pons?

A

Trigeminal, abducens, facial and vestibulocochlear

25
Describe the make up of fibres in the Trigeminal nerve.
Sensory: face and scalp. Motor: Vc only - muscles of mastication.
26
Describe the make up of fibres in the Vagus nerve.
General sensory: pharynx and larynx. Motor: soft palate, pharynx and larynx. Parasympathetics: thorax and abdominal viscera.
27
Describe the make up of fibres in the Accessory nerve.
Motor: trapezius and SCM.
28
Describe how you test for function of the Trochlear nerve.
Testing for weakness of superior oblique.
29
Describe how you test for function of the Accessory nerve.
SCM and trapezius against resistance.
30
Describe the branches formed by Vb and describe their clinical significance.
Inferior alveolar (becomes mental, vulnerable in mandibular fractures), lingual and auriculotemporal.
31
Describe the make up of fibres in the Trochlear nerve.
Motor: superior oblique muscle of eyeball movement.
32
Describe the branches formed by Va, and describe their clinical relevance.
Infraorbital (sensory from cheek, susceptible to injury in orbital floor fracture) and superior alveolar (sensory from upper gums, used as nerve block for dentists).
33
Describe the make up of fibres in the Hypoglossal nerve.
Motor: All of the tongue muscles except one.
34
Which cranial nerves emerge from the forebrain?
Olfactory and optic.
35
Describe how you test for function of the Vestibulocochlear nerve.
Test hearing and ask about balance.
36
Describe the make up of fibres in the Occulomotor nerve.
Motor: muscles of eyeball movement and eyelid including LPS. Parasympathetic: lens of eye, sphincter pupillae.
37
Describe the causes of damage to the Optic nerve (not papillodema).
Retinal detachment, pituitary tumours, stroke.
38
Describe the causes of damage to the Vestibulocochlear nerve.
Acoustic neuroma - benign tumour of the nerve.
39
Which emerge from the midbrain?
Occulomotor and trochlear
40
Describe how you test for function of the Trigeminal nerve.
Afferent limb of corneal reflex with facial nerve. Also general sensory to face, and motor to muscles of mastication.
41
Describe the make up of fibres in the Vestibulocochlear nerve.
Special sensory: hearing and balance.
42
Describe the causes of damage to the Oculomotor nerve.
Raised ICP, cavernous sinus thrombosis, aneurysms.
43
Describe how you test for function of the Olfactory nerve.
Enquire about sense of smell, rarely use smelling salts.
44
Describe the path of the accessory nerve.
Medulla > jugular foramen
45
Describe how you test for function of the Hypoglossal nerve.
Inspect movement of tongue. Inspect for denervation atrophy.
46
Describe the causes of damage to the Trigeminal nerve
Fractures, and many conditions - Trigeminal neuralgia, shingles.
47
Describe how you test for function of the Vagus nerve.
Speech, ability to swallow, cough, movement (should elevate) of uvula and soft palate. Afferent limb of gag reflex.
48
Describe the path of the trochlear nerve.
Midbrain (dorsal aspect) > cavernous sinus > superior orbital fissure > orbit.
49
Describe the make up of fibres in the Optic nerve.
Special sensory: sight.
50
Describe the path of the hypoglossal nerve.
Medulla > hypoglossal canal.
51
Decribe anosmia and it’s causes.
Loss of smell. Could be caused by olfactory nerve lesion (basilar skull fracture, tumour within anterior cranial fossa) or upper respiratory tract infection.
52
Describe the path of the glossopharyngeal nerve.
Medulla > jugular foramen
53
Describe the make up of fibres in the olfactory nerve.
Special sensory: olfaction
54
Describe the make up of fibres in the Abducens nerve.
Motor: lateral rectus muscle of eyeball movement.
55
Describe papilloedema and it’s causes.
Swelling of the optic disk caused by a raised ICP: optic nerve carries an extension of the meninges.
56
Why is the Abducens nerve especially vulnerable to compression by tumours etc? (2)
Has a very long intracranial path from the pons to the orbit, so that gives it a lot of chance to be compressed.

Maddie’s Head and Neck (17 decks)

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