Cranial Nerve Major Functions Assessment

Cranial Nerve
Olfactory Sensory Smell Smell—coffee, cloves, peppermint
I
Visual acuity—Snellen chart
Cranial Nerve (cover eye not being examined)
Optic Sensory Vision
II Test for visual fields
Examine with ophthalmoscope
Move eye up, down, and peripherally
Sensory and
Cranial Nerve Eyelid and eyeball Test for accommodation
Oculomotor Motor –
III movement Pupillary constriction
Primarily Motor
Observe for ptosis of upper eyelid
Innervates superior
Sensory and
Cranial Nerve oblique eye muscle
Trochlear Motor – Inferior lateral movement of the eye
IV Turns eye downward
Primarily Motor
and laterally
Corneal reflex
Sensation of skin of the face
(eyebrow,
Chewing
Cranial Nerve Sensory and cheeks and chin) by using a wisp of
Trigeminal Face and mouth
V Motor cotton
touch and pain
Chewing, biting, lateral jaw
movements
(move jaw side to side)
Turns eye laterally
Sensory and
Cranial Nerve Proprioception
Abducens Motor – Inferior lateral eye movements
VI (sensory awareness
Primarily Motor
of part of the body)
Taste—anterior two thirds of tongue;
sweet—sugar; salty; sour—lemon;
Controls most facial
bitter
Cranial Nerve Sensory and expressions
Facial (rinse mouth between applications)
VII Motor Secretion of ears and
Movement of forehead and mouth
saliva
Raise eyebrows, show teeth, smile,
and puff out cheeks
Hearing, balance
Cranial Nerve Vestibulocochlear Hearing
Sensory Weber and Rinne tests
VIII (auditory) Equilibrium sensation
Otoscope
Taste
Senses carotid blood
pressure Swallowing and phonation
Cranial Nerve Sensory and
Glossopharyngeal Muscle sense – Taste—posterior one third of tongue;
IX Motor
proprioception, see cranial nerve VII
sensory awareness of
the body
Senses aortic blood
Sensations of posterior one third of
pressure
tongue, throat.
Cranial Nerve Sensory and Slows heart rate
Vagus Gag reflex (stimulate back of
X Motor Stimulates digestive
pharynx with a tongue blade)
organs
Swallowing and phonation
Taste
Controls trapezius
and
Sensory and sternocleidomastoid Shoulder movement, shoulder shrug,
Cranial Nerve
Spinal Accessory Motor – controls swallowing head rotation—push against
XI
Primarily Motor movements examiner’s hand
Muscle sense -
proprioception
Controls tongue
Sensory and Tongue movement—protrude
Cranial Nerve movements
Hypoglossal Motor – tongue,
XII Muscle sense -
Primarily Motor push tongue into the cheek
proprioception
(Berman, Snyder, Kozier & Erb, 2008; Jarvis, 2008).