-
Cranial Nerve 1
- Olfactory
- With eyes closed - identify different smells.
- Repeat on other nostril
-
Cranial Nerve 2
- Optic
- Snellen eye chart
- Visual field
- Opthalmascopic examination
-
Cranial Nerve 3
- Oculomotor
- Oculor rotations
- Conjugate movements
- Nystagmus
-
Cranial Nerve 4
- Trochlear
- Oculor rotations
- Conjugate movements
- Nystagmus
-
Cranial Nerve 5
- Trigeminal
- Have patient close eyes.
- Touch cotton to forehead, cheeks, and jaw.
- Repeat with sharp and dull ends of a tongue blade.
- Have patient say "sharp or dull"
- If incorrect - repeat with cold and warm test tubes - alternatively.
-
Cranial Nerve 6
- Abducens
- Oculor rotations
- Conjugate movements
- Nystagmus
-
Cranial Nerve 7
- Facial
- Observe for symmetry while patient: smiles, whistles, raises eyebrows, frowns, tightly closes eyes against resistance, shallow labial folds (flaccid paralysis)
- Patient extends tongue - discriminate between sweet and salty
-
Cranial Nerve 8
- Acoustic
- Whisper or watch-tick test
- Test for lateralization (Weber test)
- Test for air and bone conduction (Rinne test)
-
Cranial Nerve 9
- Glossopharyngeal
- Assess swallowing ability
- Discriminate salty and sweet on POSTERIOR tongue
-
Cranial Nerve 10
- Vagus
- Depress a tongue blade on posterior tongue, or stimulate posterior pharynx to elicit gag reflex.
- Note any hoarseness in voice.
- Check ability to swallow.
-
Cranial Nerve 11
- Spinal Accessory
- Palpate and note strength of trapezius muscles while patients shrugs shoulders against resistance
- Palpate and note strength of each strenocleidomastiod muscle as patient turns head against opposing pressure of the examiners hand.
-
Cranial Nerve 12
- Hypoglossal
- Patient protrudes tongue.
- Note any tremors or deviations.
- The strength of the tongue is tested by having the protruding tongue moved from side to side against a tongue depressor.
-
Which cranial nerves do you assess in the same way?
Cranial Nerves 3,4,6
|
|
