Advanced Health Assessment Practice Exam

What are the branches of cranial nerve V responsible for?

1. Vision and smell

2. Taste and hearing

3. Sensory and motor functions including facial sensations

4. Balance and coordination

The correct answer is: Sensory and motor functions including facial sensations

Cranial nerve V, also known as the trigeminal nerve, is primarily responsible for sensory and motor functions relating to the face. It has three main branches: the ophthalmic, maxillary, and mandibular nerves. The sensory functions include conveying sensations such as touch, pain, and temperature from the skin of the face, mucous membranes, and certain structures within the head. For example, the ophthalmic branch handles sensory information from the forehead, while the maxillary branch covers sensations from the upper jaw region, and the mandibular branch innervates areas around the lower jaw. Additionally, the motor functions include innervation to the muscles used for mastication, or chewing. This is crucial for various activities such as eating and speaking. The other options do not accurately reflect the functions of cranial nerve V: vision and smell are primarily managed by cranial nerves II (optic) and I (olfactory), respectively; taste is associated with cranial nerves VII (facial) for anterior two-thirds of the tongue and IX (glossopharyngeal) for the posterior one-third; hearing is primarily processed by cranial nerve VIII (vestibulocochlear); balance and coordination are handled by the vestib