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BIO-201L Cranial Nerve Testing Lab This assignment provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate understanding of cranial nerves, and will help them prepare for the upcoming exam block

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BIO-201L Cranial Nerve Testing Lab

This assignment provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate understanding of cranial nerves, and will help them prepare for the upcoming exam block. For this assignment, you will assess the cranial nerve function of another person.

Directions: Complete all the parts of this assignment. 

Part 1: You will test all the cranial nerves bilaterally on a partner.

Part 2: Record the results of each test in the tables provided in this document.

Part 3: Answer the questions.

Part 1:

Cranial Nerve 1 (Olfactory)

Pick three foods in your kitchen. Tell your partner to close their eyes and smell each of the three foods. Test each nostril separately. Record in Cranial Nerve Table 1 if they can smell the item, and then if they can identify it.

Cranial Nerve 2 (Optic)

Take a piece of paper and write three words on it. Show it to your partner and have them read it out loud. Record if they were able to read the words in Cranial Nerve Table 2.

Cranial Nerve 3 (Oculomotor)

Test each eye separately. This test will also be used for Cranial Nerve 6. You partner will keep their head straight while following your pen with their eyes. About 1 foot away from their face, hold your pen up and trace a large H with it. Record if they were able to move their eyes in the listed directions in Cranial Nerve Table 3.

Cranial Nerve 4 (Trochlear)

Have your partner look at the tip of their nose. Record your partner's response in Cranial Nerve Table 4.

Cranial Nerve 5 (Trigeminal)

With your partner's eyes closed, test each of the three areas of trigeminal innervation on each side by gently touching a cotton ball or your finger their skin. Record if they felt the sensation on each side of their face in Cranial Nerve Table 5.

Palpate the temporalis muscles at the temples while your partner clenches their teeth several times. Repeat while palpating the masseter muscles just above the angle of the mandible. Each pair of muscles should contract equally. Then have your partner move the mandible side to side. Record if you were able to feel the muscle contraction and mandibular movement in Cranial Nerve Table 5.

Cranial Nerve 6 (Abducens)

See Cranial Nerve 3.

Cranial Nerve 7 (Facial)

Observe your partner's facial symmetry while they do the following: Raise eyebrows, smile, frown, show teeth, puff out cheeks, and close eyes tightly. Record if they were able to perform the tasks and if the response was symmetrical on both sides of their face in Cranial Nerve Table 7.

Cranial Nerve 8 (Vestibulocochlear)

Test each ear separately. While your partner blocks one ear with their finger, whisper a number near their other ear and ask them to repeat it. Record their success in Cranial Nerve Table 8.

Cranial Nerves 9 (Glossopharyngeal) and 10 (Vagus)

This test will also be used for Cranial Nerve 10. Have your partner open their mouth. Observe the position of the soft palate and uvula at rest and while saying "Ah." Both sides of the soft palate and uvular should rise. Record the response in Cranial Nerve Table 9.

Cranial Nerve 11

Test each side separately. Place your hand on your partner's cheek and ask them to turn their head against it while you resist. Simultaneously, palpate contraction of the opposing sternocleidomastoid muscle at the neck with your other hand. Record if they were able to push against your resistance in Cranial Nerve Table 11.

Place your hands on both of your partner's shoulders and ask them to shrug while you press down. Record if they were able to push against your resistance in Cranial Nerve Table 11.

Cranial Nerve 12

Ask your partner to read this sentence out loud. Check for pronunciation of vowels and consonants. Record if they were able to read without mispronunciation in Cranial Nerve Table 12.

Ask your partner to stick out their tongue. It should not deviate to either side. Record the response in Cranial Nerve Table 12.

 

 

 

Part 2: Record the results in the tables below for each test.

Cranial Nerve 1

Odor	Right Nostril (Y/N)	Left Nostril (Y/N)	Identification (Y/N)
Substance A
Substance B
Substance C

 

Cranial Nerve 2

Correct Reading of Word 1 (Y/N) ________________

Correct Reading of Word 2 (Y/N) ________________

Correct Reading of Word 3 (Y/N) ________________

 

Cranial Nerve 3

Movement	Right Eye (Y/N)	Left Eye (Y/N)
Upper right
Lower right
Upper left
Lower left

 

Cranial Nerve 4

Can look at tip of nose (Y/N) – Right eye: __________ Left eye: __________

 

Cranial Nerve 5

Branch	Right Side (Y/N)	Left Side (Y/N)
Ophthalmic
Maxillary
Mandibular

 

Temporalis contraction (Y/N) – Right: __________ Left: __________

Masseter contraction (Y/N) – Right: __________ Left: __________

Side to side movement (Y/N) – Right: __________ Left: __________

 

Cranial Nerve 6

Eye moves laterally (Y/N) – Right eye: __________ Left eye: __________

 

Cranial Nerve 7

Facial Expression	Right Side (Y/N)	Left Side (Y/N)	Asymmetry (Y/N)
Raise eyebrows
Smile
Frown
Show teeth
Puff out cheeks
Close eyes tightly

 

Cranial Nerve 8

Whisper repeated (Y/N) – Right ear: __________ Left ear: __________

 

Cranial Nerves 9 and 10

Uvula and palate rise while saying "Ah" (Y/N): __________

Uvula deviation (Right/Left/None): __________

 

Cranial Nerve 11

Turn head right against resistance (Y/N): __________

Turn head left against resistance (Y/N): __________

Elevate shoulders against resistance (Y/N) – Right: __________ Left: __________

 

Cranial Nerve 12

Pronunciation of vowels (Y/N): __________

Pronunciation of consonants (Y/N): __________

Tongue deviation (Right/Left/None): __________

 

Part 3:  Answer each of the follow-up questions.

1. Did your partner exhibit any cranial nerve abnormalities? __________

 

2. If so, what could be the cause? If not, write N/A. ________________________________________________

 

___________________________________________________________________________

 

3. Often, when you go to the doctor, they shine a light in your eye/pupil and check for a response. What are they checking, what response are they looking for, and what cranial nerves are responsible for the process?

 

______________________________________________________________________________

 

______________________________________________________________________________

 

______________________________________________________________________________

 

 

4. What is Bell's palsy? Which cranial nerve does it affect?

______________________________________________________________________________

 

______________________________________________________________________________

 

 

5. Describe an alternate way to test the function(s) of four of the cranial nerves.

 

______________________________________________________________________________

 

______________________________________________________________________________

 

 

APA style is not required, but solid academic writing is expected.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are not required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.