Name that Nerve
This cranial nerve is responsible for vision.
Answer: What is the optic nerve (CN II)?
Rationale: The optic nerve carries visual information from the retina to the brain.
Is the olfactory nerve (CN I) sensory, motor, or both?
Answer: What is sensory?
Rationale: The olfactory nerve is responsible for the sense of smell.
How do you assess cranial nerve I (olfactory nerve)?
Answer: What is having the patient identify familiar smells (e.g., coffee, vanilla)?
Rationale: CN I is responsible for smell, so assessing recognition of scents tests its function.
Damage to this nerve can result in loss of the gag reflex.
Answer: What is the glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)?
Rationale: CN IX plays a role in swallowing and the gag reflex.
A patient with difficulty chewing may have damage to which nerve?
Answer: What is CN V (trigeminal nerve)?
This nerve controls most eye movements, including opening the eyelid and pupil constriction.
Answer: What is the oculomotor nerve (CN III)?
Rationale: CN III controls most extraocular movements and the pupillary light reflex.
Is the trigeminal nerve (CN V) sensory, motor, or both?
Answer: What is both?
Rationale: It has sensory (face sensation) and motor (chewing muscles) functions.
How do you test cranial nerve II (optic nerve)?
Answer: What are visual acuity (Snellen chart) and visual field tests?
Rationale: These tests evaluate clarity of vision and peripheral vision.
A tumor compressing cranial nerve VIII can cause what symptoms?
Answer: What are hearing loss, vertigo, and tinnitus?
Rationale: The vestibulocochlear nerve controls hearing and balance.
A nurse tests the pupillary light reflex. Which cranial nerve is being assessed?
Answer: What is CN III (oculomotor nerve)?
The cranial nerve responsible for taste on the anterior two-thirds of the tongue.
Answer: What is the facial nerve (CN VII)?
Rationale: The facial nerve controls facial expressions and taste sensation in the anterior tongue.
Is the hypoglossal nerve (CN XII) sensory, motor, or both?
Answer: What is motor?
Rationale: It controls tongue movement.
How do you assess cranial nerve V (trigeminal nerve)?
Answer: What is testing facial sensation and jaw strength?
Rationale: CN V has both sensory (touch, pain) and motor (chewing) components.
What condition can result from CN X (vagus nerve) dysfunction?
Answer: What is dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) and hoarseness?
Rationale: The vagus nerve innervates the vocal cords and swallowing muscles.
A patient has difficulty swallowing and diminished gag reflex. Which two cranial nerves are likely affected?
Answer: What are CN IX (glossopharyngeal) and CN X (vagus)?
This cranial nerve is involved in shoulder shrugging and head turning.
Answer: What is the spinal accessory nerve (CN XI)?
Rationale: The spinal accessory nerve innervates the sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles.
The vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII) is responsible for what functions?
Answer: What is hearing and balance?
Rationale: It transmits sound and equilibrium information from the inner ear.
How do you assess cranial nerve VII (facial nerve)?
Answer: What is asking the patient to smile, frown, and raise eyebrows?
Rationale: CN VII controls facial expressions.
A patient reports loss of smell. Which cranial nerve should be assessed?
Answer: What is CN I (olfactory nerve)?
The nurse is preparing to assess cranial nerve III (oculomotor nerve), what will the nurse do?
Answer: What is checking pupil size, reaction to light (PERRLA), and extraocular movements (EOMs)?
Rationale: CN III controls pupil constriction and most eye movements.
Damage to this nerve can result in difficulty swallowing and hoarseness.
Answer: What is the vagus nerve (CN X)?
Rationale: The vagus nerve is responsible for parasympathetic control and motor functions in the throat.
The glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX) is responsible for what two major functions?
Answer: What are taste and swallowing?
Rationale: It controls taste on the posterior third of the tongue and assists in swallowing.
How do you assess cranial nerve VIII (vestibulocochlear nerve)?
Answer: What are the Weber and Rinne tests?
Rationale: These tests assess hearing and differentiate between conductive and sensorineural hearing loss.
A stroke patient has tongue deviation when asked to stick out their tongue. What nerve is affected?
Answer: What is CN XII (hypoglossal nerve)?
How do you assess cranial nerve IV (trochlear nerve)?
Answer: What is having the patient follow a downward and inward eye movement?
Rationale: CN IV controls the superior oblique muscle, which moves the eye downward and inward.