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Medical Minute: Cranial Nerve

The cranial nerves are a set of 12 paired nerves in the back of your brain. Cranial nerves send electrical signals between your brain, face, neck and torso. Your cranial nerves help you taste, smell, hear and feel sensations. They also help you make facial expressions, blink your eyes and move your tongue. The are an essential part of the nervous system.

How many cranial nerves are there?

You have 12 cranial nerve pairs. Each nerve pair splits to serve the two sides of your brain and body. For example, you have one pair of olfactory nerves. One olfactory nerve is on the left side of your brain and one is on the right side of your brain.

What are the types of cranial nerves?

Your 12 cranial nerves each have a specific function. Experts categorize the cranial nerves based on number and function:

  1. Olfactory nerve: Sense of smell.
  2. Optic nerve: Ability to see.
  3. Oculomotor nerve: Ability to move and blink your eyes.
  4. Trochlear nerve: Ability to move your eyes up and down or back and forth.
  5. Trigeminal nerve: Sensations in your face and cheeks, taste and jaw movements.
  6. Abducens nerve: Ability to move your eyes.
  7. Facial nerve: Facial expressions and sense of taste.
  8. Auditory/vestibular nerve: Sense of hearing and balance.
  9. Glossopharyngeal nerve: Ability to taste and swallow.
  10. Vagus nerve: Digestion and heart rate.
  11. Accessory nerve (or spinal accessory nerve): Shoulder and neck muscle movement.
  12. Hypoglossal nerve: Ability to move your tongue
What is the best way to memorize them?
For my 'Smart Doctors', this is the best way to remember the 12 Cranial Nerves:;) Enjoy!!!
Oh-Olfactory
Oh-Optic
Oh-Oculomotor
To-Trochlea
Take-Trigeminal
A-Abducens
Family-Facial
Vacation-Vestibulocochlear
Go-Glossopharyngeal
Vagas-Vagus
After-Accessory
Hours-Hypoglossal

How to Know their Functions:

Some-Sensory
Say-Sensory
Marry -Motor
Money-Motor
But-Both( have both sensory and motor function)
My-Motor
Brother-Both
Says-Sensory
Big-Both
Boobs-Both
Matter-Motor
Most-Motor

What conditions and disorders affect your cranial nerves?

Some conditions or injuries can damage parts of the brain where cranial nerves are located. In some cases, a condition may damage only one cranial nerve. Trauma or surgery could injure or sever a nerve.

 

Disorders that affect the cranial nerves include:

 

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS): A progressive disorder where nerve cells break down and muscles weaken.

Bell’s palsy: Sudden muscle weakness and drooping in one half of your face.

Hemifacial spasm: Involuntary contractions (twitches) on one side of your face.

Internuclear ophthalmoplegia: Loss of ability to move your eyes in sync when you look to the side.

Oculomotor palsy: Damage to your third cranial nerve that causes one of your eyes to stay positioned as though you are looking down and out to the side.

Stroke: Interruption to blood supply in your brain because of a blood clot or ruptured (burst) blood vessel.

Traumatic brain injury: Disruption or damage to brain function, often because of a sudden and violent blow to the head.

Trigeminal neuralgia: Chronic pain in your fifth cranial nerve, which runs through your cheek.

What are the common signs or symptoms of cranial nerve disorders?

Your cranial nerves affect many functions and sensations. As a result, different cranial nerve disorders have different symptoms.

 A cranial nerve disorder might affect your:

 

Balance.

Facial expressions.

Hearing.

Sense of smell.

Swallowing.

Taste.

Vision.


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