CRANIAL NERVES UPDATED EXAM SCRIPT QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS GUARANTEE A+
✔✔oculomotor function - ✔✔sensory: vision
motor: all extrinsic eye muscles, ciliary muscles, constrictor pupillae muscles
✔✔trochlear functions - ✔✔superior oblique muscles
✔✔trigeminal function - ✔✔sensory: face, anterior scalp, conjunctiva, eye bulb, nasal
cavity; paranasal sinuses, mucosa, oral cavity; cheeks, teeth, gums, palate
motor: muscles of mastication and other oral / throat muscles
✔✔abducens function - ✔✔lateral rectus muscles
✔✔facial function - ✔✔sensory: taste - anterior 2/3 of tongue; soft palate
motor: muscles of facial expression, glands; parotid, lacrimal, submandibular,
sublingual, oral, nasal; pharyngeal mucosal glands
✔✔vestibulocochlear function - ✔✔auditory; special sensory; balance and hearing
✔✔glossopharyngeal function - ✔✔sensory: posterior 1/3 tongue; pharynx
motor: blood vessels in carotid body and sinus
✔✔vagus function - ✔✔sensory: posterior 1/3 tongue
motor: smooth muscles and glands of pharynx, larynx, esophagus, palatoglossal
muscles; internal organs: digestion, respiration, heart rate, respiratory rate; reflexes:
sneeze, cough, swallow, vomiting; aortic arch: cardiac muscle
✔✔Accessory functions - ✔✔spinal; sternomastoid and trapezius (upper)
✔✔hypoglossal function - ✔✔intrinsic / extrinsic tongue muscles (except palatoglossus)
✔✔olfactory physical assessment - ✔✔1. ask client to close eyes
2. occlude one nostril at a time
3. identify 2 different odors per nostril
4. assess for CSF fluid rhinorrhea (if head trauma)
✔✔optic physical assessment - ✔✔1. Snellen test on each eye to check for CNs II, III,
IV, VI function
2. rest visual fields
3. observe client in good lighting for pupil size, shape, position, equality
4. drooping eyelid
5. direct pupillary light reflex
6. consensual pupillary light reflex
AND ANSWERS GUARANTEE A+
✔✔oculomotor function - ✔✔sensory: vision
motor: all extrinsic eye muscles, ciliary muscles, constrictor pupillae muscles
✔✔trochlear functions - ✔✔superior oblique muscles
✔✔trigeminal function - ✔✔sensory: face, anterior scalp, conjunctiva, eye bulb, nasal
cavity; paranasal sinuses, mucosa, oral cavity; cheeks, teeth, gums, palate
motor: muscles of mastication and other oral / throat muscles
✔✔abducens function - ✔✔lateral rectus muscles
✔✔facial function - ✔✔sensory: taste - anterior 2/3 of tongue; soft palate
motor: muscles of facial expression, glands; parotid, lacrimal, submandibular,
sublingual, oral, nasal; pharyngeal mucosal glands
✔✔vestibulocochlear function - ✔✔auditory; special sensory; balance and hearing
✔✔glossopharyngeal function - ✔✔sensory: posterior 1/3 tongue; pharynx
motor: blood vessels in carotid body and sinus
✔✔vagus function - ✔✔sensory: posterior 1/3 tongue
motor: smooth muscles and glands of pharynx, larynx, esophagus, palatoglossal
muscles; internal organs: digestion, respiration, heart rate, respiratory rate; reflexes:
sneeze, cough, swallow, vomiting; aortic arch: cardiac muscle
✔✔Accessory functions - ✔✔spinal; sternomastoid and trapezius (upper)
✔✔hypoglossal function - ✔✔intrinsic / extrinsic tongue muscles (except palatoglossus)
✔✔olfactory physical assessment - ✔✔1. ask client to close eyes
2. occlude one nostril at a time
3. identify 2 different odors per nostril
4. assess for CSF fluid rhinorrhea (if head trauma)
✔✔optic physical assessment - ✔✔1. Snellen test on each eye to check for CNs II, III,
IV, VI function
2. rest visual fields
3. observe client in good lighting for pupil size, shape, position, equality
4. drooping eyelid
5. direct pupillary light reflex
6. consensual pupillary light reflex
