Facial Nerve Pathways

Question 0

What is the major role of the facial nerve?

Answer 0

Branchial motor - ipsilateral facial expression

Question 1

What are the four main actions of the facial nerve?

Answer 1

Branchial motor - efferent to ipsilateral muscles of facial expression

Visceral motor - preganglionic parasym to lacrimal, submandibular, and sublingual glands

Somatic sensory - afferent to ipsilateral of outer ear, nasal cavity, and soft palate

Visceral (special) sensory - ipsilateral afferent for tast to anterior 2/3 of tongue

Question 2

What ganglion do the somatic and visceral sensory nerves from the facial nerve terminate (primary)?

Answer 2

The geniculate ganglion

Question 3

What part of the ear does the branchial motor serve?

Answer 3

The stapedius

Question 4

Where is the facial motor nucleus?

Answer 4

Ventrolateral caudal pons

Question 5

What nerves does the corneal blink reflex involve?

Answer 5

V and VII

Question 6

How is the corneal blink response triggered?

Answer 6

By touching the cornea

1. V1 to trigeminal gang
2. Most info goes down the spinal trigeminal tract
3. Output from spinal trigeminal tract to both the motor nuclei of the facial nerve (bilateral)
4. Efferents to motor nuclei of the facial nerve to Orbicularis oculi causing a bilateral blink