CRANIAL NERVES

Dr. Neslihan Yüzbaşıoglu, Associate Professor of Anatomy

Motor and sensory nerves of the face

•Facial nerve

•Trigeminal nerve
 Facial nerve (CN VII)

• SVE fibers: All of the muscles of facial expression

are innervated by the facial nerve.

• SVA fibers receive taste sensation from the

anterior 2/3 of the tongue.

• GVE fibers supply parasympathetic motor fibers

to the submandibular and sublingual glands, as
well as the small salivary glands around the
mouth and lacrimal gland.

• GSA fibers receive sensation around the external

acoustic meatus.
 FACIAL NERVE
• Motor nucleus
• Parasympathetic nuclei
• Superior salivatory nucleus
• Lacrimal nucleus
• Sensory nucleus is the nucleus of the solitary tract
(common sensory nucleus of CN 7, 9 and 10)

➢ Sensory and parasympathetic fibers are carried

by the nervus intermedius.
 Motor nucleus

• Supplies the muscles of facial expression,

stapedius muscle, posterior belly of the digastric
muscle and stylohyoid muscle.

• Part of the facial nucleus responsible for the

innervation of lower part of the face recieves
only unilateral corticonuclear fibers from the
contralateral side
 Parasympathetic nucleus

• Superior salivatory nucleus supplies the

submandibular and sublingual salivary glands, as
well as the nasal and palatine glands

• Lacrimal nucleus supplies the lacrimal gland

 Nucleus of the solitary tract

• Receives taste sensation from the facial

nerve (2/3 anterior part of the tongue) as
well as glossopharyngeal and vagus nerves.

• Taste fibers have their first order neurons

in the geniculate ganglion.
 Course of the facial nerve

• Internal acoustic meatus

• Facial canal
– Geniculate ganglion
• Stylomastoid foramen