THE CRANIAL NERVES

The cranial nerves

12 in number
Are part of the peripheral nervous system
All exit the cranial cavity through foramina or fissures
All originate from the brain except cranial nerve
11( Accessory nerve)
Contain sensory, motor or both components
-special sensory components are associated with
hearing, seeing, smelling, balancing and tasting

-special motor components include those that innervate

muscles derived from the pharyngeal arches
Functional Abbreviati General function Cranial
Component on nerve

General GSA Touch, Pain and 5,7 &10

Somatic Temperature
Afferent

General GVA Sensory from 9 & 10

Visceral Viscera
Afferent

Special SA Smell, Taste, 1,2,7,8,9

Afferent Vision, Hearing & 10
and Balance
Functional Abbreviati General function Cranial
component on nerves
General GSE Motor Innervations 3,4 6 &
Somatic to skeletal 12
Efferent (voluntary)
muscles
General GVE Motor innervations 3,7,9
Visceral to smooth muscle, &10
Efferents heart muscle and
glands

Brachial BE Motor innervation 5,7,9,10

Efferent (SVE) to skeletal &11
muscles from
pharyngeal arch
In utero, 6 pharyngeal arches are designated but the
5th never develops

Each pharyngeal arch is associated with a developing

cranial nerve or its branches
1st arch- CN 5 (V3)
2nd arch- CN 7
3rd arch- CN 9
4th arch- Superior Laryngeal Branch of CN 10
6th arch- Recurrent Laryngeal Branch of CN 10
Olfactory nerve-CN I
Carries special afferents (SA) for smell
Peripheral processes act as receptors in the nasal
mucosa
Receptors are located in the roof and upper parts
of the nasal cavity
Central processes return information to the brain
Central processes enter cranial cavity through the
Cribiform plate of ethmoid
Terminate by synapsing with neurons in the
olfactory bulb
Lesions result in ANOSMIA
Optic nerve-CN II
Special afferents for vision
Returns information from photoreceptors in the
retina to the brain
Optic nerve enter the cranial cavity through the
optic canals
Lesion leads to anopsia and loss of light reflex
Oculomotor nerve- CN III
Moves the eyeball in all directions
Adduction is the most important action
Constricts pupil (sphincter papillae)
Accomodates (ciliary muscle)
Raises eyelids (LPS)
Oculomotor nerve- CN III
Carries 2 types of fibers
GSE innervating most of the extra ocular muscles
(LPS,SR,IR,MR,IO)
GVE part of the parasympathetic part of Autonomic
Nervous System
-synapse in the ciliary ganglion (pupillary
constriction and accommodation)
Exits the cranial cavity via the lateral wall of the
cavernous sinus through the superior orbital
fissure
Lesion involves ptosis, external strabismus etc
Trochlear nerve CN IV
GSE to Superior Oblique muscle
Enters the orbit via the lateral wall of the
cavernous sinus
Trigeminal nerve CN V
General sensory of the head, motor innervation
to muscles that move the lower jaw
GSA-sensory input from the face, the scalp,
mucous membrane of oral and nasal cavity ,PNS,
part of the TM, eye and conjunctiva, dura mater in
the anterior and middle cranial fossa
2 roots- Large sensory
- small motor
Expands into a Trigeminal ganglion in the middle
cranial fossa
3 divisions
-V1
-V2
-V3
Ophthalmic nerve (V1)
exits the cranial cavity into the orbit via the lateral
wall of the cavernous sinus and superior orbital
fissure
Sensory from the eyes, conjunctiva and orbital
contents including the lacrimal gland
Maxillary nerve
Exits the cranial through foramen rotundum
Sensory branches from anterior and middle cranial
fossa, nasopharynx, palate, nasal cavity, teeth of the
upper jaw, maxillary sinus, skin of the side of the
nose, lower eyelid, cheek, upper lip
Mandibular nerve
Exits skull through foramen ovale
Motor root of CNS also exits through foramen ovale
and unites with the sensory component of V3 outside
the skull
Only division that contains a motor component
Motor fibers innervate muscles of mastication, tensor
tympani, anterior belly of digastric
Sensory fibres from the skin of the lower face, cheek
lower lip, ear, external auditory meatus and temporal
region, anterior two thirds of the tongue, teeth of
the lower jaw, teeth of the lower jaw, mastoid air
cells, mucus membrane and dura in the middle
cranial fossa
Lesion involves loss of sensation, weakness in
chewing, Jaw deviation towards the affected side,
Trigeminal neuralgia
Abducent nerve-CN VI
GSE –Lateral Rectus in orbit
Crosses the cavernous sinus as it enters the orbit
through the superior orbital fissure
Lesion-internal strabismus
Facial nerve- CN VII
Carries GSA,SA,GVE and BE
GSA-sensory input from ext auditory meatus and
small skin posterior to the ear
SA-taste from anterior two thirds of the
tongue
GVE-parasympathetic part of Autonomic Nervous
System
-stimulate secretomotor activity in the lacrimal
gland, submandibular and sublingual glands,
mucus membranes of the nasal cavity, hard and
soft palates
BE-muscles of the face, scalp, stapedius, posterior
belly of the digastric and stylohyoid muscles
2 roots- Large motor
- Smaller sensory (the intermediate nerve)
Intermediate nerve contains SA (taste), GVE
(parasympathetic) and GSA
Large motor root contains the BE fibres
Both roots exit the posterior cranial fossa through the
internal auditory meatus and fuse within the facial
canal (petrous part of the temporal bone) →facial
nerve
Expands into the geniculate ganglion
Greater petrosal nerve →preganglionic
parasympathetic
Nerve to stapedius and chorda tympani in the facial
canal
Exits the skulls through the stylomastoid
foramen
Chorda tympani carries taste (SA) fibres from the
anterior two thirds of the tongue and
preganglionic parasympathetic (GVE) to the
submandibular ganglion.
Vestibulocochlear nerve-CN VIII
SA for hearing and balance
2 divisions
-vestibular component for balance
-cochlear component for hearing
Glossopharyngeal nerve CN (IX)
carries GVA, SA, GVE, and BE fibers:
GVA fibers provide sensory input from the carotid
body and sinus, posterior one-third of the tongue,
palatine tonsils, upper pharynx, and mucosa of
the middle ear and pharyngotympanic tube;
SA fibers are for taste from the posterior one-
third of the tongue;
GVE fibers are part of the parasympathetic part of
the autonomic division of the PNS and stimulate
secretomotor activity in the parotid salivary
gland
BE fibers innervate the muscle derived from the
third pharyngeal arch (the stylopharyngeus
muscle)
Tympanic nerve:
branch from CN IX within the jugular foramen
Forms part of the tympanic plexus within the
middle ear cavity
Contributes GVE which leaves tympanic plexus in the
lesser petrosal nerve carrying preganlionic
parasympathetic fibres to the otic ganglion→
parotid
PARASYMPATHETIC GANGLIA OF THE HEAD

Ganglion Input CN origin of Function

preganglionic
fibers

Ciliary CN III CNIII sphincter

papillae and
ciliary
muscles

Pterygopalatine Greater CN VII Lacrimal

petrosal n gland and
mucus
glands of
nasal cavity
Ganglion Input CN origin of Function
preganglionic
fibres

Otic Lesser CN IX Parotid gland

petrosal n innervation

Submandibular Chorda CN VII Submandibular

tympani to and sublingual
glands
lingual n to
submandibul
ar ganglion
Vagus nerve- CN X
carries GSA, GVA, SA, GVE, and BE fibers:
GSA fibers provide sensory input from the skin
posterior to the ear and the external acoustic
meatus;
GVA fibers provide sensory input from the aortic
body chemoreceptors and aortic arch
baroreceptors, and the mucous membranes of the
pharynx, larynx, esophagus, bronchi, lungs, heart,
and abdominal viscera in the foregut and midgut;
SA fibers are for taste around the epiglottis
GVE fibers are part of the parasympathetic part of
the autonomic division of the PNS and stimulate
smooth muscle and glands in the pharynx, larynx,
thoracic viscera, and abdominal viscera of the
foregut and midgut;
BE fibers innervate one muscle of the tongue
(palatoglossus), the muscles of the soft palate
(except tensor veli palatini), pharynx (except
stylopharyngeus), and larynx.
Lesion- dysphagia, hoarseness, uvula points
away from the affected side, loss of gag and
cough reflex, Horner's syndrome
Accessory nerve-CN XI
BE fibres to the sternocleidomastoid and trapezius
muscles
Roots arise from the motor neurons in the upper 5
segments of the cervical spinal cord
Turns head to opposite side/elevates and rotates
scapula
Lesion- shoulder droop, weakness turning head
to opposite side
Hypoglossal nerve- CN XII
GSE- Intrinsic and most extrinsic muscles of the
tongue
Exits the cranial cavity through the hypoglossal canal
Supplies the hyoglossus, styloglossus, genioglossus
and all the extrinsic muscles of the tongue
Lesion causes tongue to point towards affected
side