Examination of cranial nerves Flashcards
List the cranial nerves 1-12
- Olfactory
- Optic
- Occulomotor
- Trochlear
- Trigeminal
- Abducens
- Facial
- Vestibulococclear
- Glossopharyngeal
- Vagus
- Accessory
- Hypoglossal
What type of nerve is CNI and where does it emerge from
Olfactory nerve is a sensory nerve emerging from the cribriform plate of the ethmoid bone
How is CNI examined
- clove used to see if patient can perceive the scent
- one nostril tested at a time
What is the abnormal response to CNI examination and what could this signify
Unilateral loss could imply structural brain lesion affecting olfactory bulb/tract - could also be due to deviated septum or blocked nasal passage
Bilateral loss can occur with rhinitis or damage to cribriform plate
What type of nerve is CNII and where does it emerge from
Optic nerve is a sensory nerve which emerges from the optic foramen
How is CNII tested for visual acuity
Tests for the sharpness of image produced by optic nerve
- Snellen’s test: letter charts read
- 20/20 = normal vision
- 20/200 = legally blind
How is CNII tested for visual fields
Tests how wide you can see as a result of optic nerve
- the examiner compares patient’s visual field to their own
- wiggling finger/white pin and ask to say ‘now’
Why will a pituitary tumour affect visual field
Because the pituitary sits close to optic chasm and so a tumour will compress and damage the nasal part of the visual field
How is CNII and CNIII tested for pupillary reflex
The optic nerve detects light = afferent
The oculomotor nerve causes constriction = efferent
- observe ptosis (shows oculomotor damage)
- observe pupil size
- observe direct and consensual response to light
What happens when there is an afferent defect in the pupillary reflex test
direct and consensual reflexes are absent when light is shone in bad eye
direct and consensual reflexes present when shone in good eye
What happens when there is an efferent defect in the pupillary reflex test
direct reflex absence and consensual reflex presence when shone in bad eye
direct reflex present and consensual reflex absence when shone in good eye
What is relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD) and what is it a common sign of
Causes asymmetric pupillary reaction to light when it is shone back and forth (swinging) and it is a common sign of asymmetric optic nerve disease/damage
Outline what response occurs in the RAPD test
When the light is shone on the stronger optic nerve there will be more constriction and when swung to the weaker side there will be slight dilation
How can accommodation be tested for
This shows how the lens adapts to distance and is related to the optic nerve; Ask the patient to look in the distance and then at the tip of their nose
- diverging when looking far
- converging when looking near
List the 6 extra ocular muscle of the eye and how they move the eye
- Superior rectus = upwards
- Lateral rectus = away from nose
- Medial rectus = towards nose
- Inferior rectus = downwards
- Superior oblique = inward downward rotation
- Inferior oblique = outward upward rotation
What are the 6 extra ocular muscles of the eye innervated by
- Superior rectus = Oculomotor nerve
- Lateral rectus = Abducens nerve
- Medial rectus = Oculomotor nerve
- Inferior rectus = Oculomotor nerve
- Superior oblique = Trochlear nerve
- Inferior oblique = Oculomotor nerve
LR6 SO4
How can the extra-ocular movements of a patient be tested
Ask the patient to follow finger in H pattern without moving head, pause at ends of each direction of gaze to observe for nystagmus (dancing eyes)
What damage does ptosis suggest
Weakness of the elevator muscle causes drooping of eyelid which occurs in myasthenia graves and CNIII palsy
What damage does strabismus cause
This is ‘lazy eye’ where they are not properly aligned and so there is a suint which can cause double vision
What damage does nystagmus suggest
This is where the eye makes abnormal repetitive uncontrolled movements thus inability to focus; there is an issue with the semi-circular canal which balances images as there is abnormal stimulation
- the eye will flip back towards to semi-circular canal
What is CNIII palsy characterised by
- Ptosis (levator palpebrae superioris)
- Large pupil (pupillary constrictor)
- Eye is down and out (due to unopposed action of LR and SO so their actions will be exaggerated)
What is CNIV palsy characterised by
- Diplopia on looking down-vertical diplopia due to weakened depression (SO)
- The bad eye will sit slightly higher than the good one