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vagus nerve (CN X)
Somatic & visceral motor; somatic & visceral sensory.
Efferents:
Dorsal motor nucleus
1) located in posterior mid-medulla medial to the nucleus solitarius
2) fibers originating in the dorsal motor nucleus innervate:
a) thoracic viscera
b) abdominal viscera
Nucleus ambiguous
1) located in the mid-medulla anterior to the nucleus solitarius
2) CN 10 fibers originating in the nucleus ambiguous innervate:
a) pharynx - swallowing
b) larynx
c) levator veli palatini
3) the nucleus ambiguous is shared by CN 9 & CN 10
Afferents:
Nucleus solitarius
1) located in the posterior mid-medulla lateral to the dorsal motor nucleus
2) visceral sensory
3) CN 10 fibers synapsing in the nucleus solitarius innervate:
a) epiglottis - taste
b) pharynx
c) larynx
d) trachea
e) esophagus
f) thoracic & abdominal viscera
6) nucleus solitarius is shared by CN 7, CN 9, CN 10
Spinal nucleus of CN 5
1) the sensory nucleus of CN 5 actually obtains sensory input from CN 7, CN 9, & CN 10, but because of the dominant input from CN 5, retains it name
2) CN 10 fibers synapsing in the spinal nucleus of CN 5 innervate:
a) external ear
b) dura mater
Course:
- exits from the cranium through the jugular foramen
Related
dorsal motor nucleus of vagus
jugular foramen
nucleus ambiguous
nucleus solitarius
spinal (caudal) trigeminal nucleus
vagal
Useful
vagotomy
vagus nerve stimulation (SenTiva)
General
cranial nerve
References
- Clinical Anatomy Made Ridiculously Simple. Stephen
Goldberg, MedMaster Inc, Miami, 1995
- Medical Knowledge Self Assessment Program (MKSAP) 11, American
College of Physicians, Philadelphia 1998
Components
thoracic cardiac branch of vagus nerve
Images
images related to vagus nerve (CN X)