ANAT 321 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: David Ragsdale, Cranial Nerves, Facial Nerve
10 Oct 2018
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Document Summary
Axons synapse on specific nuclei of the brainstem. Sensory nuclei in the brainstem are associated with specific cranial nerves. Nerves are mixed: very often, some nerves have efferent and afferent axons in them. 4 types of nuclei (ordered by dorsal-lateral to medial- ventral: somatosensory, visceral sensory, visceral motor, somatic motor. Special somatic function involved in hearing and balance (viii) Receives somatosensory input from cutaneous and proprioception in the face, teeth (v) Sensations of palate and back 1/3 of tongue (ix) Autonomic sensations of body, larynx and pharynx (x) Motor output for eye movements, pupillary constriction and lid movement (iii) The organization of the spinal cord is also conserved in the organization of the nuclei. Involved in the modulation of pain signals and complex responses to threatening situations: fear response, for example, can be created by stimulating this area, highly organised, central gray matter in brainstem, controls various integrative functions of the brainstem.
