Do the cranial nerves decussate?

The cranial nerves do not decussate generally with exceptions being CN2, CN4, CN7 and CN12. That means if a lesion affects Cranial Nerve 1, 5, 8, 9 and 11 or the respective nucleus there is either sensation loss or atrophy of the muscle (dependent on what the nerve does) of the ipsilateral side.

Which cranial nerves are bilateral?

Anatomy. CN IX is innervated bilaterally and has sensory, parasympathetic, and motor components.

Where do sensory cranial nerves decussate?

Their axons start in either the left or right cerebral hemisphere, and decussate, or simply put, cross the midline, typically at the same level of their cranial nerve nuclei prior to synapsing, By decussating, these nerves can then go on to eventually innervate some structure on the contralateral side of the head.

What is Decussation of nerves?

January 10, 2021 / Guest User. when fibers cross from one side of a structure to the other. For example, motor fibers that travel in the corticospinal tract originate in the cerebral cortex and travel down to the body.

Which cranial nerve is most important for speech?

The cranial nerves relevant to speech are the fifth (trigeminal), seventh (facial), eighth (vestibulocochlear), ninth (glossopharyngeal), tenth (vagus), and twelfth (hypoglossal).

Are the cranial nerves bilateral?

Even though the cranial nerve nuclei are primarily bilaterally supplied, some of the muscle groups moving the facial and oral musculature have mixed innervation patterns with much variation among the nuclei regarding the amount of unilateral innervation versus contralateral innervation each receives.

Which cranial nerves are sensory?

Cranial nerves I, II, and VIII are pure sensory nerves. Cranial nerves III, IV, VI, XI, and XII are pure motor nerves. Cranial nerves V, VII, IX, and X are mixed sensory and motor nerves.

Why do nerves cross?

Most sensory and motor pathways in the central nervous system cross the midline. Comparing between different neuronal pathways in different species suggest that, fibers crossing is most probably a response to the development of separated parts for the body during the process of evolution.

Where does decussation happen?

This crossover, or decussation, occurs just before the junction between the medulla oblongata and the spinal cord. This decussation of the pyramidal tract is the reason that brain injuries and strokes on one side of the head typically cause paralysis on the other side of the body.

What does it mean when the cranial nerve does not decussate?

Cranial Nerve Decussation. The cranial nerves do not decussate generally with exceptions being CN2, CN4, CN7 and CN12. That means if a lesion affects Cranial Nerve 1, 5, 8, 9 and 11 or the respective nucleus there is either sensation loss or atrophy of the muscle (dependent on what the nerve does) of the ipsilateral side.

Where does the decussation of the corticospinal tract occur?

Decussation of the corticospinal tract occurs at the junction of the medulla oblongata and spinal cord while the corticobulbar tracts decussate above each relevant cranial nerve nuclei.

Which is affected by nerve decussation in CN7?

Cranial Nerve Decussation. If the nerve is affected, it is typically the ipsilateral side. The same I imagine is true for CN12. In CN7, the forehead is bilaterally innervated so if the upper motor neurone is affected eyebrows can be raised but the lower side of the face is affected ipsilaterally.

Is the 12th cranial nerve a motor nerve?

Spinal accessory (CN11): ipsilateral weakness of the trapezius and stemocleidomastoid muscles The 12th cranial nerve is the motor nerve in the midline of the medulla. Although the 9th, 10th and 11th cranial nerves have motor components, they do not divide evenly into 12 (using our rule) and are thus not the medial motor nerves.