Cranial Nerve | Foramen | Region Entered | Components | Target, Function | ||
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I-Olfactory | cribiform plate of ethmoid | nasal cavity | special sensory | olfactory epithelium - smell | ||
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II-Optic | optic canal of sphenoid | orbit | special sensory | retina-vision | ||
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III-Oculomotor | superior orbital fissure | orbit | somatomotor |
levator palpebrae superioris superior rectus medial rectus inferior rectus inferior oblique | ||
visceromotor | preganglionic parasympathetic to: ciliary ganglion (innervation of sphincter pupillae and ciliary muscle) | |||||
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IV-Trochlear | superior orbital fissure | orbit | somatomotor | superior oblique muscle (poverty muscle) | ||
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V1-Trigeminal opthalmic
| superior orbital fissure | orbit | general sensory | general sensation from skin and mucosa in region at and above orbit | ||
V2-Trigeminal maxillary
| foramen rotundum | pterygopalatine fossa | general sensory | general sensation from skin and mucosa in region from orbit to mouth | ||
V3-Trigeminal mandibular
| foramen ovale with lesser petrosal from CN9 | infratemporal fossa | branchiomotor |
muscles of mastication tensor tympani tensor veli palatini mylohyoid anterior belly digastric | ||
general sensory | general sensation from the skin and mucosa from region at and below the mouth | |||||
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VI-Abducens | superior orbital fissure | orbit | somatomotor | to lateral rectus (best abductor!) | ||
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VII-Facial
| internal acoustic meatus-> facial canal-> stylomastoid foramen | temporal bone | branchiomotor |
muscles of facial expression stapedius stylohyoid mylohyoid posterior belly digastric | ||
facial canal-> middle ear-> chorda tympani-> petrotympanic fissure | special sensory | taste, anterior 2/3 tongue | ||||
facial canal-> middle ear-> chorda tympani-> petrotympanic fissure | visceromotor | preganglionic parasympathetic to: submandibular ganglia (innervates submandibular and sublingual glands) | ||||
greater superficial petrosal-> pterygoid canal | visceromotor | preganglionic parasympathetic to: pterygopalatine ganglia (innervates lacrimal gland, nasal glands, and palatine glands | ||||
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VIII-Vestibulocochlear | internal auditory meatus | temporal bone | special sensory | hearing and balance | ||
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IX-Glossopharyngeal | jugular foramen | neck | branchiomotor | stylopharyngeus | ||
viscerosensory | pharynx, palate, carotid sinus, carotid body and posterior 1/3 tongue | |||||
special sensory | taste, posterior 1/3 tongue | |||||
jugular formen-> tympanic branch-> tympanic caniculus-> middle ear | middle ear | viscerosensory | middle ear and auditory tube | |||
jugular formen-> tympanic branch-> tympanic caniculus-> middle ear | infratemporal fossa | visceromotor | parotid | |||
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X-Vagus | jugular foramen | branchiomotor | pharynx and larynx | |||
general sensory | auricle, external auditory meatus | |||||
viscerosensory | mucosa of entire larynx | |||||
visceromotor | preganglionic parasympathetic to abdomen & thorax | |||||
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XI-Spinal Accessory | enters by foramen magnum-> exits by jugular foramen | neck | branchiomotor | trapezius, sternocleidomastoid | ||
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XII-Hypoglossal | hypoglossal canal | neck | somatomotor | all tongue muscles (these end in ‘glossus’) are innervated by CN12 except palatoglossus |