Cranial Nerve Flashcards: Names, Numbers, Functions & Tests
Learn all 12 cranial nerves with 84 focused cards on names, numbers, classification as sensory, motor, or mixed, core functions, and safe high-level exam cues.
Mayelana naleli qoqo
Build reliable recall of all 12 cranial nerves without turning a focused study session into an anatomy encyclopedia. These 84 original English cards practice number-to-name and name-to-number recall, sensory/motor/mixed classification, core functions and pathways, and one safe high-level assessment cue for each nerve.
The sequence starts with identity in both useful directions, moves into classification, then interleaves functions across the nerves before ending with assessment cues. Related prompts are spaced apart so nearby cards do not hand you the next answer.
This deck deliberately leaves out symptom diagnosis, lesion localization, treatment, detailed nuclei and foramina, traditional mnemonic phrases, and self-assessment. It is an educational study aid, not medical advice or a substitute for supervised clinical training.
The questions, answers, organization, metadata, and original generated cover are independently authored from common knowledge and released under CC0 1.0 to the extent applicable rights exist. Scope and facts were checked against NCBI Bookshelf cranial-nerve references and the Merck Manual Professional neurological examination guide.
Amakhadi akuleli qoqo
Ikhadi 1
Umbuzo
CN I — nerve name?
Impendulo
Olfactory nerve.
Ikhadi 2
Umbuzo
CN II — nerve name?
Impendulo
Optic nerve.
Ikhadi 3
Umbuzo
CN III — nerve name?
Impendulo
Oculomotor nerve.
Ikhadi 4
Umbuzo
CN IV — nerve name?
Impendulo
Trochlear nerve.
Ikhadi 5
Umbuzo
Olfactory nerve — cranial nerve number?
Impendulo
CN I.
Ikhadi 6
Umbuzo
CN V — nerve name?
Impendulo
Trigeminal nerve.
Ikhadi 7
Umbuzo
Optic nerve — cranial nerve number?
Impendulo
CN II.
Ikhadi 8
Umbuzo
CN VI — nerve name?
Impendulo
Abducens nerve.
Ikhadi 9
Umbuzo
Oculomotor nerve — cranial nerve number?
Impendulo
CN III.
Ikhadi 10
Umbuzo
CN VII — nerve name?
Impendulo
Facial nerve.
Ikhadi 11
Umbuzo
Trochlear nerve — cranial nerve number?
Impendulo
CN IV.
Ikhadi 12
Umbuzo
CN VIII — nerve name?
Impendulo
Vestibulocochlear nerve.
Ikhadi 13
Umbuzo
Trigeminal nerve — cranial nerve number?
Impendulo
CN V.
Ikhadi 14
Umbuzo
CN IX — nerve name?
Impendulo
Glossopharyngeal nerve.
Ikhadi 15
Umbuzo
Abducens nerve — cranial nerve number?
Impendulo
CN VI.
Ikhadi 16
Umbuzo
CN X — nerve name?
Impendulo
Vagus nerve.
Ikhadi 17
Umbuzo
Facial nerve — cranial nerve number?
Impendulo
CN VII.
Ikhadi 18
Umbuzo
CN XI — nerve name?
Impendulo
Accessory nerve, also called the spinal accessory nerve.
Ikhadi 19
Umbuzo
Vestibulocochlear nerve — cranial nerve number?
Impendulo
CN VIII.
Ikhadi 20
Umbuzo
CN XII — nerve name?
Impendulo
Hypoglossal nerve.
Ikhadi 21
Umbuzo
Glossopharyngeal nerve — cranial nerve number?
Impendulo
CN IX.
Ikhadi 22
Umbuzo
Vagus nerve — cranial nerve number?
Impendulo
CN X.
Ikhadi 23
Umbuzo
Accessory nerve — cranial nerve number?
Impendulo
CN XI.
Ikhadi 24
Umbuzo
Hypoglossal nerve — cranial nerve number?
Impendulo
CN XII.
Ikhadi 25
Umbuzo
CN I (olfactory) — sensory, motor, or mixed?
Impendulo
Sensory.
Ikhadi 26
Umbuzo
CN VIII (vestibulocochlear) — sensory, motor, or mixed?
Impendulo
Sensory.
Ikhadi 27
Umbuzo
CN III (oculomotor) — sensory, motor, or mixed?
Impendulo
Motor. Its motor classification includes somatic motor and parasympathetic output.
Ikhadi 28
Umbuzo
CN VII (facial) — sensory, motor, or mixed?
Impendulo
Mixed.
Ikhadi 29
Umbuzo
CN XI (accessory) — sensory, motor, or mixed?
Impendulo
Motor.
Ikhadi 30
Umbuzo
CN II (optic) — sensory, motor, or mixed?
Impendulo
Sensory.
Ikhadi 31
Umbuzo
CN V (trigeminal) — sensory, motor, or mixed?
Impendulo
Mixed.
Ikhadi 32
Umbuzo
CN IX (glossopharyngeal) — sensory, motor, or mixed?
Impendulo
Mixed.
Ikhadi 33
Umbuzo
CN IV (trochlear) — sensory, motor, or mixed?
Impendulo
Motor.
Ikhadi 34
Umbuzo
CN X (vagus) — sensory, motor, or mixed?
Impendulo
Mixed.
Ikhadi 35
Umbuzo
CN XII (hypoglossal) — sensory, motor, or mixed?
Impendulo
Motor.
Ikhadi 36
Umbuzo
CN VI (abducens) — sensory, motor, or mixed?
Impendulo
Motor.
Ikhadi 37
Umbuzo
CN I (olfactory) — primary sensory function?
Impendulo
Smell, or olfaction.
Ikhadi 38
Umbuzo
CN II (optic) — what information does it carry from the retina?
Impendulo
Visual sensory information.
Ikhadi 39
Umbuzo
CN III (oculomotor) — which four extraocular muscles does it innervate?
Impendulo
Superior rectus, inferior rectus, medial rectus, and inferior oblique.
Ikhadi 40
Umbuzo
CN IV (trochlear) — extraocular muscle target?
Impendulo
Superior oblique muscle.
Ikhadi 41
Umbuzo
CN V1 (ophthalmic division) — main sensory territory?
Impendulo
The upper face, including the forehead and cornea.
Ikhadi 42
Umbuzo
CN VI (abducens) — extraocular muscle target?
Impendulo
Lateral rectus muscle.
Ikhadi 43
Umbuzo
CN VII (facial) — main somatic motor function?
Impendulo
Movement of the muscles of facial expression.
Ikhadi 44
Umbuzo
CN VIII (vestibulocochlear) — cochlear branch function?
Impendulo
Hearing.
Ikhadi 45
Umbuzo
CN IX (glossopharyngeal) — taste territory?
Impendulo
The posterior one-third of the tongue.
Ikhadi 46
Umbuzo
CN X (vagus) — key motor targets in the mouth and throat?
Impendulo
The pharyngeal and soft-palate muscles used in swallowing.
Ikhadi 47
Umbuzo
CN XI (accessory) — sternocleidomastoid function?
Impendulo
Turning the head to the opposite side.
Ikhadi 48
Umbuzo
CN XII (hypoglossal) — main muscle targets?
Impendulo
The intrinsic and extrinsic tongue muscles, except palatoglossus.
Ikhadi 49
Umbuzo
CN I (olfactory) — where do fibers from the nasal olfactory mucosa first synapse?
Impendulo
In the olfactory bulb, after passing through the cribriform plate.
Ikhadi 50
Umbuzo
CN II (optic) — role in the pupillary light reflex?
Impendulo
It forms the afferent sensory limb that detects the light stimulus.
Ikhadi 51
Umbuzo
CN III (oculomotor) — role in eyelid position?
Impendulo
It supplies levator palpebrae superioris, which elevates the upper eyelid.
Ikhadi 52
Umbuzo
CN IV (trochlear) — key eye-movement contribution?
Impendulo
Through the superior oblique, CN IV intorts the eye; it depresses the eye most strongly in adduction.
Ikhadi 53
Umbuzo
CN V2 (maxillary division) — main sensory territory?
Impendulo
The midface, including the cheek, upper lip, and maxillary teeth.
Ikhadi 54
Umbuzo
CN VI (abducens) — primary eye movement?
Impendulo
Abduction: moving the eye laterally, away from the nose.
Ikhadi 55
Umbuzo
CN VII (facial) — taste territory?
Impendulo
The anterior two-thirds of the tongue, carried through the chorda tympani.
Ikhadi 56
Umbuzo
CN VIII (vestibulocochlear) — vestibular branch function?
Impendulo
Balance and sensory information about head orientation and motion.
Ikhadi 57
Umbuzo
CN IX (glossopharyngeal) — what visceral sensory information comes from the carotid sinus and body?
Impendulo
Blood-pressure and blood-chemistry signals, respectively.
Ikhadi 58
Umbuzo
CN X (vagus) — key laryngeal motor function?
Impendulo
Motor control of the intrinsic laryngeal muscles for phonation.
Ikhadi 59
Umbuzo
CN VII (facial) — role in the corneal reflex?
Impendulo
It carries the efferent motor limb that closes the eyelids through orbicularis oculi.
Ikhadi 60
Umbuzo
CN XII (hypoglossal) — role in tongue protrusion?
Impendulo
It supplies genioglossus, a principal muscle for protruding the tongue.
Ikhadi 61
Umbuzo
CN III (oculomotor) — parasympathetic effect on the pupil?
Impendulo
Pupillary constriction through the sphincter pupillae.
Ikhadi 62
Umbuzo
CN V3 (mandibular division) — main sensory territory?
Impendulo
Most of the lower face and jaw, plus mandibular teeth and general sensation from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue.
Ikhadi 63
Umbuzo
CN VII (facial) — parasympathetic role in tear production?
Impendulo
It provides secretomotor input to the lacrimal gland.
Ikhadi 64
Umbuzo
CN IX (glossopharyngeal) — motor target that assists swallowing?
Impendulo
Stylopharyngeus, which elevates the pharynx during swallowing.
Ikhadi 65
Umbuzo
CN X (vagus) — main parasympathetic territory?
Impendulo
Thoracic and abdominal viscera, extending through much of the gastrointestinal tract.
Ikhadi 66
Umbuzo
CN III (oculomotor) — parasympathetic role in near vision?
Impendulo
Lens accommodation through the ciliary muscle.
Ikhadi 67
Umbuzo
CN V (trigeminal) — main motor function?
Impendulo
Motor control of the muscles of mastication through the mandibular division, V3.
Ikhadi 68
Umbuzo
CN VII (facial) — parasympathetic role in salivation?
Impendulo
It provides secretomotor input to the submandibular and sublingual glands.
Ikhadi 69
Umbuzo
CN IX (glossopharyngeal) — parasympathetic salivary target?
Impendulo
The parotid gland.
Ikhadi 70
Umbuzo
CN X (vagus) — main visceral sensory territory?
Impendulo
The pharynx, larynx, and thoracic and abdominal organs.
Ikhadi 71
Umbuzo
CN V (trigeminal) — role in the corneal reflex?
Impendulo
It carries the afferent sensory limb through the ophthalmic division, V1.
Ikhadi 72
Umbuzo
CN XI (accessory) — trapezius function?
Impendulo
Elevating the shoulder, as in a shoulder shrug.
Ikhadi 73
Umbuzo
CN I (olfactory) — one high-level assessment cue?
Impendulo
Ask the person to identify a familiar, nonirritating odor in each nostril separately, with the other nostril occluded.
Ikhadi 74
Umbuzo
CN II (optic) — one high-level assessment cue?
Impendulo
Check visual acuity in each eye separately with an appropriate distance or near chart.
Ikhadi 75
Umbuzo
CN III (oculomotor) — one high-level assessment cue?
Impendulo
Shine a light into each eye and observe brisk, symmetric direct and consensual pupillary constriction; CN III is the efferent limb.
Ikhadi 76
Umbuzo
CN IV (trochlear) — one high-level assessment cue?
Impendulo
Have the person follow a target through an H pattern, watching the adducted eye as it looks down.
Ikhadi 77
Umbuzo
CN V (trigeminal) — one high-level assessment cue?
Impendulo
With the eyes closed, compare light facial sensation across the V1, V2, and V3 territories on both sides.
Ikhadi 78
Umbuzo
CN VI (abducens) — one high-level assessment cue?
Impendulo
Have the person follow a target into lateral gaze and check that each eye abducts smoothly.
Ikhadi 79
Umbuzo
CN VII (facial) — one high-level assessment cue?
Impendulo
Compare facial-movement symmetry while the person smiles, raises the eyebrows, and closes the eyes tightly.
Ikhadi 80
Umbuzo
CN VIII (vestibulocochlear) — one high-level assessment cue?
Impendulo
Screen hearing in each ear separately with a quiet whisper while the opposite ear is occluded.
Ikhadi 81
Umbuzo
CN IX (glossopharyngeal) — one high-level assessment cue?
Impendulo
In a supervised exam, assess the sensory limb of the gag reflex alongside CN X; bilateral absence can occur in healthy people.
Ikhadi 82
Umbuzo
CN X (vagus) — one high-level assessment cue?
Impendulo
Ask the person to say “ah” and observe whether the soft palate elevates symmetrically.
Ikhadi 83
Umbuzo
CN XI (accessory) — one high-level assessment cue?
Impendulo
Compare shoulder elevation while the person shrugs against resistance.
Ikhadi 84
Umbuzo
CN XII (hypoglossal) — one high-level assessment cue?
Impendulo
Ask the person to protrude the tongue and observe its position and movement.
amakhadi angu-84
Cranial Nerve Flashcards: Names, Numbers, Functions & Tests
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