Cranial Nerve Assessment

Cranial Nerve Assessment

Nerve		Name	Function	Test
I	S	Olfactory	Smell	Ask Pt to identify familiar odors (e.g., coffee, peppermint).
II	S	Optic	Visual acuity Visual field	Assess visual acuity using a Snellen, or similar, eye chart. Assess peripheral vision.
III	M	Oculomotor	Pupillary reaction	Assess pupils for equality and reactivity to light.
IV	M	Trochlear	Eye movement	Have Pt follow your finger without moving his or her head.
V	B	Trigeminal	Facial sensation Muscles of mastication	Touch the face and assess for sharp and dull sensation. Have Pt hold mouth open.
VI	M	Abducens	Abduction of the eye	Have Pt follow your finger without moving his or her head.
VII	B	Facial	Facial expression Sense of taste	Have Pt smile, wrinkle face, puff cheeks. Ask Pt to differentiate between sweet and salty taste.
VIII	S	Acoustic	Hearing Balance	Snap fingers close to Pt’s ears. Feet together, arms at side with eyes closed for 5 seconds.
IX	B	Glossopharyngeal	Swallowing and voice	Have Pt swallow and then say “AH.”
X	B	Vagus	Gag reflex	Use tongue depressor or swab to elicit gag reflex.
XI	M	Spinal Accessory	Neck motion	Have Pt shrug shoulders or turn head against resistance.
XII	M	Hypoglossal	Tongue movement and strength	Have Pt stick out tongue and move it from side to side.

S Sensory only; M Motor only; B Both sensory and motor