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| Cranial Nerve | Function | Test Method |
|---|---|---|
| I: Olfactory | Smell | Close eyes, ask to identify smells |
| II: Optic | Vision | Visual acuity, visual fields, fundoscopy |
| III: Oculomotor | Pupil constriction, eye movement | Pupil response, eye movement (up, down, medial) |
| IV: Trochlear | Eye movement (down and lateral) | Eye movement (down and lateral) |
| V: Trigeminal | Sensory to face, muscles of mastication | Light touch, pain, temperature sensation; palpate masseter and temporalis muscles |
| VI: Abducens | Eye movement (lateral) | Eye movement (lateral) |
| VII: Facial | Facial expressions, taste (anterior 2/3 of tongue) | Smile, puff out cheeks, raise eyebrows; test taste on front of tongue |
| VIII: Vestibulocochlear | Hearing, balance | Rinne and Weber test (hearing); test for vertigo |
| IX: Glossopharyngeal | Taste (posterior 1/3 of tongue), gag reflex, swallowing | Test taste on back of tongue, palpate throat for swallowing |
| X: Vagus | Gag reflex, vocal cords, parasympathetic control | Gag reflex, say "ah" (look for uvula deviation) |
| XI: Accessory | Shoulder shrug, head rotation | Shrug shoulders, turn head against resistance |
| XII: Hypoglossal | Tongue movement | Stick out tongue, check for asymmetry or atrophy |