cranial nerve

Any of several nerves that arise in pairs from the brainstem and reach the periphery through openings in the skull. There are 12 such pairs in mammals, birds, and reptiles and usually 10 pairs in amphibians and fish.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

cranial nerve

(Anatomy) any of the 12 paired nerves that have their origin in the brain and reach the periphery through natural openings in the skull

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

cra′nial nerve`

any of the paired nerves arising from the brainstem and reaching the periphery through skull openings.

[1830–40]

cranial nerve

Any of the 12 pairs of nerves in humans and other mammals that connect the muscles and sensory organs of the head and upper chest directly to the brain. The cranial nerves include the optic nerve and the auditory nerve.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

cranial nerve - any of the 12 paired nerves that originate in the brain stem

nerve, nervus - any bundle of nerve fibers running to various organs and tissues of the body

first cranial nerve, nervii olfactorii, olfactory nerve - a collective term for numerous olfactory filaments in the nasal mucosa

nervus opticus, optic nerve, optic tract, second cranial nerve - the cranial nerve that serves the retina

nervus oculomotorius, oculomotor, oculomotor nerve, third cranial nerve - supplies extrinsic muscles of the eye

fourth cranial nerve, trochlear, trochlear nerve, trochlearis - either of the two cranial nerves on either side that control the superior oblique muscles of the eyes

fifth cranial nerve, nervus trigeminus, trigeminal, trigeminal nerve, trigeminus - the main sensory nerve of the face and motor nerve for the muscles of mastication

abducens, abducens nerve, abducent, abducent nerve, nervus abducens, sixth cranial nerve - a small motor nerve supplying the lateral rectus muscle of the eye

facial, facial nerve, nervus facialis, seventh cranial nerve - cranial nerve that supplies facial muscles

acoustic nerve, auditory nerve, eighth cranial nerve, nervus vestibulocochlearis, vestibulocochlear nerve - a composite sensory nerve supplying the hair cells of the vestibular organ and the hair cells of the cochlea

glossopharyngeal nerve, nervus glossopharyngeus, ninth cranial nerve - sensory nerve to the pharynx and back of the tongue; motor fibers innervate muscles that elevate the pharynx and larynx; includes parasympathetic fibers to the otic ganglion

nervus vagus, pneumogastric, pneumogastric nerve, tenth cranial nerve, vagus, vagus nerve, wandering nerve - a mixed nerve that supplies the pharynx and larynx and lungs and heart and esophagus and stomach and most of the abdominal viscera

accessory nerve, eleventh cranial nerve, nervus accessorius, spinal accessory - arises from two sets of roots (cranial and spinal) that unite to form the nerve

hypoglossal, hypoglossal nerve, nervus hypoglosus, twelfth cranial nerve - supplies intrinsic muscles of the tongue and other tongue muscles

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References in classic literature

Sherrington, by experiments on dogs, showed that many of the usual marks of emotion were present in their behaviour even when, by severing the spinal cord in the lower cervical region, the viscera were cut off from all communication with the brain, except that existing through certain cranial nerves. He mentions the various signs which "contributed to indicate the existence of an emotion as lively as the animal had ever shown us before the spinal operation had been made."* He infers that the physiological condition of the viscera cannot be the cause of the emotion displayed under such circumstances, and concludes: "We are forced back toward the likelihood that the visceral expression of emotion is SECONDARY to the cerebral action occurring with the psychical state....

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Cranial nerve involvement were found in 68 (54.4%) of our patients while literature review revealed involvement of cranial nerves in 45 to 55% of the patients9,17.

STUDY OF EPIDEMIOLOGICAL AND CLINICAL PROFILE OF CHILDHOOD GUILLAIN-BARRE SYNDROME AT THE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, LAHORE

Surrounding the cavernous sinus are important nerves called the cranial nerves because they originate from the brain within the cranium (skull bone).

'When Trouble Sleep, Yanga Go Wake Am - Palaver He Dey Find'

Some authors believe that immediate administration of steroids at the onset of an attack might reduce permanent sequelae of OM, including residual weakness of the third cranial nerve and pupillary dysfunction (7).

An Adolescent Boy with Steroid-responsive Ophthalmoplegic Migraine: A New Case and Systematic Review

The presence of Wave I shows normal cochlear function and the absence of other waves reveals that the lesion is very close to the root of the eight cranial nerve (9).

Sudden Sensoryneural Hearing Loss As a Rare Attack Type in Multiple Sclerosis

Knowledge of the cranial nerves is essential for students in various health professions, among others, because of its intricate structure and functional aspects (Dickson & Stephens, 2015).

El Origen Aparente de los Nervios Glosofaringeo, Vago y Accesorio: Un Aspecto para Considerar en la Ensenanza de Neuroanatomia Humana

03 Which other cranial nerve is it important to test the function of?

Cranial nerve pathology

In this article, a patient who presented with multiple cranial nerve palsies and was diagnosed with RHS and VZV encephalitis is discussed.

Coexistence of Atypical Ramsay Hunt Syndrome and Varicella-Zoster Virus Encephalitis/Atipik Ramsay Hunt Sendromu ve Varisella-Zoster Virus Ensefaliti Birlikteligi

Schwannomas often settle in the parapharyngeal space of the neck and mostly arise from the 10th cranial nerve. Schwannomas that settle in this region are usually encountered as medial neck masses, and schwannomas that originate from the cervical or brachial plexus as lateral neck masses (5).

Schwannoma in the Supraclavicular Region: Case Report

On the other hand, ONB can cause cranial nerve palsy without orbital invasion.

Olfactory Neuroblastoma: A Rare Cause of External Ophthalmoplegia, Proptosis and Compressive Optic Neuropathy

A section of cranial nerve IV showed mononuclear lymphocytic infiltrate and mild myelin loss, while sections of the sciatic nerve showed inflammation-associated myelin loss.

Postmortem Findings in Patient with Guillain-Barre Syndrome and Zika Virus Infection