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Cranial nerves
What are the locations and functions of the individual cranial nerves
Location and Function of Cranial Nerves
| Nerve | Location of Nuclei | Functions |
|---|---|---|
| Olfactory (I) | Olfactory bulb | Sensory: smell and olfactory reflex |
| Optic (II) | Thalamus | Sensory : vision and visual reflexes |
| Oculomotor (III) | Midbrain | Motor : eye movement, eyelids, pupillary constriction, accommodation of lens |
| Trochlear (IV) | Midbrain | Motor : eye movement (superior oblique) |
| Trigeminal (V) | Midbrain | Sensory : proprioception for chewing |
| Pons | Sensory : from face and cornea | |
| Motor : to masticatory muscles and tensor tympani muscle | ||
| Medulla | Sensory : from face and mouth | |
| Abducens (VI) | Pons | Motor : eye movement (lateral rectus) |
| Facial (VII) | Pons | Sensory : from skin of external ear, taste from anterior tongue |
| Motor : facial expression, stapedius muscle movement, salivation, and lacrimation | ||
| Vestibulocochlear (VIII) | Pons and medulla | Sensory : equilibrium and hearing |
| Glossopharyngeal (IX) | Medulla | Sensory : from middle ear, palate, pharynx, and posterior tongue, taste from posterior tongue |
| Motor : swallowing, parotid gland salivation | ||
| Vagus (X) | Medulla | Sensory : from pharynx, larynx, thorax, and abdomen, taste from epiglottis |
| Motor : swallowing and phonation | ||
| Autonomic : parasympathetics to thoracic and abdominal viscera | ||
| Spinal accessory (XI) | Medulla | Motor : sternocleidomastoid and upper trapezius muscles |
| Hypoglossal (XII) | Medulla | Motor : tongue |
Sources
From Wilson-Pauwels L, Akesson EJ, Stewart PA: Cranial nerves: anatomy and clinical comments. Toronto: B.C. Decker, 1988.
