Cranial Nerve Anatomy & Locations
This cranial nerve is structurally considered an extended central nervous system structure and passes out of the neurocranium through the optic canal.
What is the Optic Nerve (CN II)?
These are the specific afferent and efferent cranial nerves that form the components of the blink (corneal) reflex.
What are the Ophthalmic nerve (V1, afferent) and the Facial nerve (CN VII, efferent)?
While the trigeminal nerve handles the rest of the face, this specific cervical spinal nerve plexus branch provides sensory input to the skin at the angle of the mandible.
What is the Great Auricular Nerve?
This deep, subcutaneous muscle of facial expression connects the orbicularis oris to the superior pharyngeal constrictor and is pierced directly by the parotid duct.
What is the Buccinator?
Damage to the middle meningeal artery at the pterion causes this specific type of brain injury, which displays a convex or lens-shaped presentation on a CT scan.
What is an Epidural Hematoma?
This specific branch of the trigeminal nerve exits the middle cranial fossa through the foramen ovale.
What is the Mandibular Division (V3)?
These two cranial nerves serve as the respective afferent and efferent components of the gag reflex.
What are the Glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX, afferent) and the Vagus nerve (CN X, efferent)?
This terminal branch of the ophthalmic division (V1) exits the skull via a matching notch or foramen in the frontal bone to supply the forehead.
What is the Supraorbital Nerve?
This is the only muscle of mastication that functions to retract the mandible.
What is the Temporalis?
Rupture of the bridging veins creates a concave, crescent-shaped blood accumulation under CT view known by this medical term.
What is a Subdural Hematoma?
The superficial temporal artery and this cranial nerve branch run near the jaw joint, making their irritation a common incorrect diagnosis for TMJ disorders.
What is the Auriculotemporal Nerve?
This is the first nerve to branch off from the facial nerve (CN VII) along its diagnostic pathway.
What is the Greater Petrosal Nerve?
What are the boundaries that separate the three sensory zones of the face (V1, V2, and V3)?
What are the palpebral fissure (eyes) and the oral fissure (mouth)
Acting via its superior head, this highly active muscle of mastication pulls the fibrocartilage disc forward to initiate jaw movement.
What is the Lateral Pterygoid?
An upper motor neuron lesion, such as an MCA stroke, paralyzes the lower contralateral face but uniquely spares this anatomical region.
What is the scalp/forehead?
This cranial nerve uniquely exits from the posterior aspect of the midbrain before crossing over
What is the Trochlear Nerve (CN IV)?
This specific branch of the facial nerve innervates the stapedius muscle—the smallest skeletal muscle in the human body.
What is the Stapedial Nerve?
Sensory fibers from these two cervical spinal nerves distributed by CN X and CN XII provide somatic sensation to the floor of the posterior cranial fossa.
What are the C2 and C3 spinal nerves?
This muscle is the only muscle of the pharynx innervated exclusively by the glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX).
What is the Stylopharyngeus?
This cranial nerve pathology results from a lower motor neuron injury at or near the stylomastoid foramen, paralyzing both the face and the scalp on the ipsilateral side.
What is Bell's Palsy?
These three specific cranial nerves course through the pontomedullary junction of the brainstem.
What are the Abducens (CN VI), Facial (CN VII), and Vestibulocochlear (CN VIII) nerves?
List out the terminal motor branches of the facial nerve
What are Temporal, Zygomatic, Buccal, Mandibular, Cervical?
This specific branch of the maxillary nerve (V2) runs through the incisive canal to provide sensory innervation to the hard palate.
What is the Nasopalatine Nerve?
This smooth, involuntary muscle layer is located in the upper eyelid and receives sympathetic innervation to assist in opening the eye.
What is the Superior Tarsal Muscle?
When testing extraocular muscle function, a patient is instructed to look medially and downward to isolate and evaluate this specific muscle
What is the Superior Oblique?