What cranial nerves may be affected in the patient who is having difficulty swallowing?
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Twelve pairs of nerves (the cranial nerves) lead directly from the brain to various parts of the head, neck, and trunk. Some of the cranial nerves are involved in the special senses (such as seeing, hearing, and taste), and others control muscles in the face or regulate glands. The nerves are named and numbered (according to their location, from the front of the brain to the back). Image 1: Twelve pairs of cranial nerves emerge from the underside of the brain, pass through openings in the skull, and lead to parts of the head, neck, and trunk. The nerves are named and numbered, based on their location, from the front of the brain to the back. Thus, the olfactory nerve is the 1st cranial nerve, and the hypoglossal nerve is the 12th cranial nerve Unlike spinal nerves whose roots are neural fibers from the spinal grey matter, cranial nerves are composed of the neural processes associated with distinct brainstem nuclei and cortical structures.[1] The names of the cranial nerves (CN) are: CN I - Olfactory, CN II - Optic, CN III - Oculomotor, CN IV - Trochlear, CN V - Trigeminal, CN VI - Abducens, CN VII - Facial, CN VIII - Vestibulocochlear, CN IX - Glossopharyngeal, CN X - Vagus, CN XI - Accessory, and CN XII - Hypoglossal. [2] Link: Introduction to Neuroanatomy [3] Function[edit | edit source]The names of the cranial nerves sometimes correspond with their individual function. Some of the cranial nerves are purely sensory, others are purely motor, and the rest have both sensory and motor components.
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[6] Dysfunction of Cranial nerves[edit | edit source]Dysfunction of certain cranial nerves may affect the eye, pupil, optic nerve, or extraocular muscles and their nerves; thus, they can be considered cranial nerve disorders, neuro-ophthalmologic disorders, or both. Cranial nerve disorders can also involve dysfunction of smell, vision, chewing, facial sensation or expression, taste, hearing, balance, swallowing, phonation, head turning and shoulder elevation, or tongue movements (see table below). One or more cranial nerves may be affected. These disorders can result from tumors, inflammation, trauma, systemic disorders, and degenerative or other processes, causing such symptoms as vision loss, diplopia, ptosis, pupillary abnormalities, periocular pain, facial pain, or headache[7]. Treatment of neuro-ophthalmologic and cranial disorders depends on the cause. Clinical Relevance and Assessment [8][9][edit | edit source]Cranial Nerve Integrity
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What nerve causes difficulty in swallowing?The vagal nerve (VN), the tenth cranial nerve, provides both motor and sensory innervation, and plays an important role in the pharyngeal phase of swallowing [4, 6].
What cranial nerves affect swallowing?The glossopharyngeal nerve is the ninth set of 12 cranial nerves (CN IX). It provides motor, parasympathetic and sensory information to your mouth and throat. Among its many functions, the nerve helps raise part of your throat, enabling swallowing.
Which cranial nerve is most likely to be damaged in a patient experiencing issues with swallowing or manipulating food in the mouth using the tongue?The hypoglossal nerve innervates the muscles of the tongue and is involved in tongue movements during speech, food manipulation, and swallowing.
Which nerves supply the function of swallowing?Coordination of swallowing is controlled by the trigeminal (CN V), facial (CN VII), glossopharyngeal (CN IX), vagus (X), and hypoglossal (CN XII) nerves and their nuclei. These nerves and nuclei are themselves controlled by areas of the reticular formation known as the swallowing center.
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