Anatomy & Physiology › Section N · The neurological exam › Topic N.2
The cranial nerve exam
Twelve pairs of cranial nerves serve the head and neck, and each has a quick bedside test. Because their nuclei are packed into the brainstem, a few minutes of smelling, reading, smiling and swallowing can pinpoint damage to a very small region of the brain.
In this topic
- Grouping the twelve nerves by function
- Smell and vision: nerves I and II
- Worked example: reading a Snellen score
- Hearing and balance: nerve VIII
- Worked example: two tuning-fork patterns
- The trigeminal nerve: nerve V
- Gaze and pupils: nerves III, IV and VI
- The facial nerve: nerve VII
- Throat, tongue and neck: nerves IX, X, XI and XII
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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