Cranial Nerves

Front 1

CN-1

Back 1

Name: Olfactory

Function: Sensory

Activity: Sense of smell

Test: make sure nares are not obstructed, close both eyes and close one nare, place familiar odor under nare sniff and identify.

Front 2

CN-II

Back 2

Name: Optic

Function: Sensory

Activity: Visual activity and visual field

Test: near vision- read magazine (observe closeness or distance of face to page), distant vision (snell chart), ophthalmoscope (inspect fundus)

Front 3

CN-III

Back 3

Name: Oculomotor

Function: Motor

Activity: Extra ocular movement, pupillary construction, pupil size and reactivity

Test: Shine a light on one pupil; both pupils should constrict. Check accommodation, move your finger toward the patients nose, pupils should constrict

Front 4

CN-IV

Back 4

Name: Trochlear

Function: Motor

Activity : Eye muscle movement (downward and inward eye)

Test: Have patient look down and in.

Front 5

CN-V

Back 5

Name: Trigeminal

Function: Mixed (motor and sensory)

Activity: Jaw opening, chewing, facial sensation- eye blink

Test: Ask patient to hold mouth open while you try to close it. With patients eyes close, brush face with cotton ball and have them identify area touched.

Front 6

CN-VI

Back 6

Name: Abducens

Function: Mixed (motor and sensory)

Activity : Muscle movement of eye (lateral eye movement)

Test: Have patient move eyes side to side

Front 7

CN-VII

Back 7

Name: Facial

Function: Mixed (motor and sensory) Activity: Facial expression movement- taste, eye lid and lip closure

Test: Ask patient to smile, raise eyebrows, and keep lips and eyes closed while you try to open them. Place salt or sugar on tongue and identify

Front 8

CN-VIII

Back 8

Name: Vestibule cochlear

Function: Sensory

Activity : Hearing- equilibrium

Test: Place ticking watch or whisper near each ear.

Front 9

CN-IX

Back 9

Name: Glossopharyngeal

Function: Mixed (motor and sensory) Activity : Swallowing- gag reflex- taste, posterior

Test: Touch back of throat with depressor, have patient swallow

Front 10

CN-X

Back 10

Name: Vagus

Function: Mixed (motor and sensory)

Activity : Guttural speech sounds - involuntary actions of

Test: Assess gag swallowing with CN- IX. Assess vocal quality

Front 11

CN-XI

Back 11

Name: Spinal Accessory

Function: Motor

Activity : Turn head- shrug shoulder

Test: Have patient shrug shoulder and turn head from side to side

Front 12

CN-XII

Back 12

Name: Hypoglossal

Function: Motor

Activity : Tongue movement for speech sound articulation

Test: Have patient stick out tongue and move it internally from cheek to cheek. Assess articulation