Cranial Nerve How elicited Actual Response Significance

Hold the scent (coffee)

near the one nostril with
CN I- Olfactory the other nostril occluded .
while patient closes eyes,
repeat with other nostril
Ask the patient to read the
headlines of the
CN II- Optic
newspaper at 14 inches’
distance
Place penlight in front of
CN III-, IV, VI- the patient and ask him to
Oculomotor, follow it with his eyes only
Trochlear, and as its moves in the six
Abducens cardinal gaze; assess
pupillary action.
Ask the patient to clench
teeth while the student
nurse palpates her
temporal and masseter
muscles for contractions;
CN V- Trigeminal use cotton wisps to stroke
forehead, cheeks, and
chin ask the patient if he is
able to feel the touch; use
also cotton wisp to test for
corneal reflex.
Instruct patient to smile,
frown, elevate and lower
CN VII-Facial down eyebrows, open and
close eyes, puff cheeks
and show teeth.
Occlude ear intermittently.
Ask client to repeat
whispered 2 syllable
CN VIII- words; Lunes and Martes.
Vestibulocochlear Done on right ear, left ear
was inaccessible.
A. Weber’s Test
B. Rinne test
Examine uvula and gag
reflex by asking client to
CN IX AND X- say “ah” and touch the
Glossopharyngeal uvula with cotton
and Vagus applicator. Assess
patient’s ability to swallow
his salive
Test for muscle strength;
CN XI- Accessory turn head to one side
against the resistance of a
 hand on each side and
shrug the shoulders
against the resistance of
the hands.
Test for muscle the
movement of the tongue
CN XI and CN
and the muscle strength of
XII- Accessory
the tongue: hold tongue
and Hypoglossal
against cheek asked to
resist against SN’s hand.