Overview of the Cranial Nerves I—VI and Their Functional Components

00:00 Welcome to this presentation on the cranial nerves. In this presentation, you’ll have a better understanding of six cranial nerves, nerve I through nerve VI. You’ll have a nice understanding too of the clinical considerations with each of those cranial nerves. We’ll take a look at the olfactory nerve, cranial nerve number I. Then we’ll proceed on to the optic nerve, cranial nerve number II. Then you’ll have an opportunity to take a look at the oculomotor nerve, cranial nerve III. Next is the trochlear nerve, cranial nerve number IV. Trigeminal, cranial nerve number V is next. Then our last nerve will be the abducens nerve, cranial nerve number VI. When we think about cranial nerves, it’s important for you to understand that cranial nerves are going to carry one or more functional components. The components that cranial nerves can convey are going to be as follows: Cranial nerves can convey general somatic afferents.

01:16 This is just general sensations coming from the body itself. There can be information being relayed from the viscera, so we have general visceral afferent information being conveyed through some of the cranial nerves. Then we have a special class of afferent nerve fibers. These are special afferent.

01:41 These will convey the special senses: smell, vision, taste, equilibrium, vestibular apparatus, audition, for example. Then we have general somatic efferent nerve fibers. These are going to innervate skeletal muscle.

02:04 We also have, for your consideration, general visceral efferents. These are going to innervate glands, smooth muscle, and cardiac muscle. Then the last functional component will be found in cranial nerves that innervate the pharyngeal arches and these would be branchial efferent nerve fibers.