Cranial Nerves and Clinical Testing

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards based on lecture notes detailing the names, functions, parasympathetic components, and clinical testing methods for the $$12$$ cranial nerves.

Olfactory Nerve I

A sensory nerve responsible for smell; contains no parasympathetic info; tested by covering the eyes and passing aromatic food near the nose.

Optic Nerve II

A sensory nerve responsible for seeing; contains no parasympathetic info; tested by throwing a cotton ball from behind to see if the animal follows it or navigates through the room.

Oculomotor Nerve III

A nerve responsible for eye movement and parasympathetic information (which can cause constriction of the pupil); tested by observing movement of the eye in the socket.

Trochlear Nerve IV

A nerve responsible for eye rotation; contains no parasympathetic info; tested by observing the eye in the socket.

Trigeminal Nerve V

A nerve responsible for face sensation in the eye, mouth, nose, and jaw areas, divided into $3$ specific divisions: Ophthalmic (V1), Maxillary (V2), and Mandibular (V3).

Ophthalmic Division V1

A sensory division of the trigeminal nerve for touch in the eye area; contains no parasympathetic info; tested by touching the cornea or region around the eye to elicit a blink.

Maxillary Division V2

A sensory division of the trigeminal nerve for touch in the mouth and nose area; contains no parasympathetic info; tested by pricking the skin in that area to check for a response.

Mandibular Division V3

A motor division of the trigeminal nerve for the muscle in the jaw area; contains no parasympathetic info; tested by pinching that area to see if the jaw is working well.

Abducens (Abducent) Nerve VI

A nerve responsible for eye abduction (moving away from the front); contains no parasympathetic info; tested by observing eye movement in the socket.

Facial Nerve VII

A nerve responsible for facial muscle tone and expression; carries parasympathetic info to stimulate secretion of lacrimal, submandibular, and sublingual salivary glands; tested by checking for symmetry in facial muscle tone.

Vestibulocochlear Nerve VIII

A nerve responsible for the inner ear functions of balancing and hearing; contains no parasympathetic info; tested by standing behind a dog and clapping hands to see if it responds.

Glossopharyngeal Nerve IX

A nerve responsible for taste and swallowing; carries parasympathetic info for the stimulation of secretion from parotid and zygomatic salivary glands; tested by checking the gag reflex.

Vagus Nerve X

A nerve responsible for rest and digest movements and functions in the thoracic and abdominal organs; works with the larynx; tested by looking for tachycardia (increased heart rate).

Spinal Accessory Nerve XI

A nerve responsible for head and neck movement; contains no parasympathetic info; tested by palpating the neck muscles.

Hypoglossal Nerve XII

A nerve responsible for tongue movement; contains no parasympathetic info; tested by seeing if the tongue extends and retracts normally.