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Chapter 8: Cranial Nerves and Pathways

INTRODUCTION

The 12 pairs of cranial nerves are referred to by either name or Roman numeral (Fig 8–1 and Table 8–1). Note that the olfactory peduncle (see Chapter 19) and the optic nerve (see Chapter 15) are not true nerves but rather fiber tracts of the brain, whereas nerve XI (the spinal accessory nerve) is derived, in part, from the upper cervical segments of the spinal cord. The remaining nine pairs relate to the brain stem.

FIGURE 8–1

Ventral view of the brain stem with cranial nerves.

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TABLE 8–1Overview of Cranial Nerves.
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TABLE 8–1 Overview of Cranial Nerves.
Functions Location of Cell bodies
    Functional Type* Motor Innervation Sensory Function Parasympathetic Function Within Sensory Organ or Ganglia Within Brain Stem Major Connections
Special Sensory: I Olfactory SS   Sense of smell   Olfactory mucosa   Mucosa projects to olfactory bulb
  II Optic SS   Visual input from eye   Ganglion cells in retina   Projects to lateral geniculate; superior colliculus
  VIII Vestibulocochlear SS   Auditory and vestibular input from inner ear   Cochlear ganglion   Projects to cochlear nuclei, then inferior colliculi, medial geniculate
            Vestibular ganglion   Projects to vestibular nuclei
Motor for Ocular System: III Oculomotor SE Medial rectus, superior rectus, inferior rectus, inferior oblique       Oculomotor nucleus Receives input from lateral gaze center (paramedial pontine recticular formation; PPRF) via median longitudinal fasciculus
    VE     Constriction of pupil   Edinger–Westphal nucleus Projects to ciliary ganglia, then to pupil
  IV Trochlear SE Superior oblique       Trochlear nucleus  
  VI Abducens SE Lateral rectus       Abducens nucleus Receives input from PPRF
Other Pure Motor: XI Accessory BE Sternocleido-mastoid, trapezius       Ventral horns at C2–5  
  XII Hypoglossal SE Muscles of tongue, hyoid bone       Hypoglossal nucleus  
Mixed: V Trigeminal SA   Sensation from face, cornea, teeth, gum, palate. General sensation from anterior 2/3 of tongue   Semilunar (5 gasserian or trigeminal) ganglia   Projects to sensory nuclei and spinal tract of V, then to thalamus (VPM)
    BE Chewing muscles       Motor nucleus of V  
  VII Facial BE Muscles of facial expression, platysma, stapedius       Facial nucleus  
    VA   Taste, anterior 2/3 of tongue (via chorda tympani)   Geniculate ganglion   Projects to solitary tract and nucleus, then to thalamus (VPM)
    VE     Submandibular, sublingual, lacrimal glands (via nervus intermedius)   Superior salivatory nucleus  
  IX Glossopharyngeal VE     Parotid gland   Inferior salivatory nucleus  
    VA   General sensation from posterior 1/3 of tongue, soft palate, auditory tube. Sensory input from carotid bodies and sinus. Taste from posterior 1/3 ...

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