What does the 8th cranial nerve control?

The vestibulocochlear nerve, also known as cranial nerve eight (CN VIII), consists of the vestibular and cochlear nerves. The vestibular nerve is primarily responsible for maintaining body balance and eye movements, while the cochlear nerve is responsible for hearing.

How do you test the oculomotor nerve?

Step One: Open the right eyelid and shine the light into the right eye. Look only into the right eye to assess for a response. A normal response is a brisk constriction of the right pupil. If the pupil gets larger or has a sluggish response, it is considered abnormal.

Where is the 8th nerve?

The 8th cranial nerve runs between the base of the pons (the middle portion of the brainstem) and medulla oblongata (the lower portion of the brainstem). This junction between the pons, medulla, and cerebellum that contains the 8th nerve is called the cerebellopontine angle.

How do you test for CN?

CN IX and CN X nerves can be assessed together:

Ask the patient to cough (assessing CN X)
Ask the patient to open the mouth wide and say ‘ah’, using a tongue depressor to visual the palate and posterior pharyngeal wall (assessing CN IX and X) The soft palate should move upwards centrally.

How do you assess CN VII?

Facial nerve (CN VII) Assess the patient for facial symmetry. Have him wrinkle his forehead, close his eyes, smile, pucker his lips, show his teeth, and puff out his cheeks. Both sides of the face should move the same way. When the patient smiles, observe the nasolabial folds for weakness or flattening.

How is the cochlear division of CN 8 tested?

Cranial Nerve 8 – Auditory Acuity, Weber & Rinne Tests The cochlear division of CN 8 is tested by screening for auditory acuity. This can be done by the examiner lightly rubbing their fingers by each ear or by using a ticking watch.

Which is the most accurate way to assess CN 2?

Formal perimetry is the most accurate way of assessing visual fields. Direct visualization of the optic nerve head is an important and valuable part of assessing CN 2. Systematically look at the optic disc, vessels, retinal background and fovea. Images are courtesy Dr. Kathleen Digre, The University of Utah.

How is the motor division of CN 9 and 10 tested?

The motor division of CN 9 & 10 is tested by having the patient say “ah” or “kah”. The palate should rise symmetrically and there should be little nasal air escape. With unilateral weakness the uvula will deviate toward the normal side because that side of the palate is pulled up higher.

How to prepare for the cranial nerve examination?

Download the cranial nerve examination PDF OSCE checklist, or use our interactive OSCE checklist. If you want to learn more about the cranial nerves, check out our summary. You may also be interested in our guide to dermatomes and myotomes or our paediatric neurological examination guide.