Cranial Nerves Overview

Introduction

• Presented by Sarah from register nurse rn.com
• Video covers the location, function of cranial nerves and mnemonics for remembering them
• Encourages taking a quiz on the website to test knowledge

Cranial Nerves

There are 12 cranial nerves each with specific locations and functions.

Cranial Nerve 1: Olfactory Nerve

• Location: Pink area at the top of the brain
• Function: Responsible for smell
• Mnemonic: Think of a stinky "Factory"

Cranial Nerve 2: Optic Nerve

• Location: Green area
• Function: Responsible for sight
• Mnemonic: Optic = eyes

Cranial Nerve 3: Oculomotor Nerve

• Location: Little pink area right below the optic nerve
• Function: Moves eyelids, eyeballs; adjusts pupils and lenses

Cranial Nerve 4: Trochlear Nerve

• Location: Little purple area on two sides
• Function: Moves eyeballs

Cranial Nerve 5: Trigeminal Nerve

• Location: Largest nerve in the cranial set
• Function: Moves facial muscles; allows for chewing and facial expressions

Cranial Nerve 6: Abducens Nerve

• Location: Little pink area
• Function: Moves eyeballs (similar to Trochlear nerve)

Cranial Nerve 7: Facial Nerve

• Location: Notice that nerves 7, 8, 9, and 10 are stacked together chronologically
• Function: Produces tears, taste, saliva production, facial expressions

Cranial Nerve 8: Vestibulocochlear Nerve

• Location: Little brown sections
• Function: Responsible for hearing
• Mnemonic: Cochlear implants for hearing

Cranial Nerve 9: Glossopharyngeal Nerve

• Location: Green area below the vestibulocochlear nerve
• Function: Swallowing, saliva production, taste

Cranial Nerve 10: Vagus Nerve

• Location: Pink area
• Function: Controls peripheral nervous system, smooth muscle of GI tract

Cranial Nerve 11: Accessory Nerve

• Location: Orangish-brown area
• Function: Moves head, shoulders, allows for swallowing

Cranial Nerve 12: Hypoglossal Nerve

• Location: Little purple area on top of the brainstem
• Function: Moves tongue, allows for speech and swallowing
• Mnemonic: Glossal = tongue (premedical terminology)

Mnemonics for Cranial Nerve Order

Order Mnemonic

• Phrase: "Old Operators Occasionally Troubleshoot Tricky Abducted Family Veterans Galloping Bentley Across History"
• **Explanation: ** First two letters match cranial nerve names
  • Old (OL) = Olfactory
  • Operators (OP) = Optic
  • Occasionally (OC) = Oculomotor
  • Troubleshoot (TR) = Trochlear
  • Tricky (TR) = Trigeminal
  • Abducted (AB) = Abducens
  • Family (FA) = Facial
  • Veterans (V) = Vestibulocochlear
  • Galloping (G) = Glossopharyngeal
  • Bentley (B) = Vagus
  • Across (AC) = Accessory
  • History (H) = Hypoglossal

Sensory/Motor/Both Mnemonic

• Phrase: "Some Say Merry Money But My Brother Says Big Brains Matter More"
• Explanation: First letter indicates type
  • S = Sensory
  • M = Motor
  • B = Both
  • Mapping to cranial nerves:
    • Some (S) = Sensory (Cranial Nerve 1)
    • Say (S) = Sensory (Cranial Nerve 2)
    • Merry (M) = Motor (Cranial Nerve 3)
    • Money (M) = Motor (Cranial Nerve 4)
    • But (B) = Both (Cranial Nerve 5)
    • My (M) = Motor (Cranial Nerve 6)
    • Brother (B) = Both (Cranial Nerve 7)
    • Says (S) = Sensory (Cranial Nerve 8)
    • Big (B) = Both (Cranial Nerve 9)
    • Brains (B) = Both (Cranial Nerve 10)
    • Matter (M) = Motor (Cranial Nerve 11)
    • More (M) = Motor (Cranial Nerve 12)

Conclusion

• Review the cranial nerves and their functions
• Practice with the quiz on register nurse rn.com
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