Cranial Nerves

The twelve cranial nerves of the nervous system are essential for any medical specialties since they are controlling so many body functions. The nerves are found in the peripheral nervous system, and they exit cranium through foramina and fissures. They are projecting from the brain, and they are defined commonly as the cranial nerves. Their names are related to their functions, and they are identified numerically in roman numerals as (I-XII). Their  locations in the brain (cranial to caudal) determines their numerical order (1-12). Nuclei in the brain are the sources of the cranial nerves. Despite one of the cranial nerves (Accessory) that has a nucleus in the spinal cord and two (Olfactory and Optic) that originate from cerebrum, the remainder of the nerves are projecting directly from the brainstem.  

This book is intended to medical students, dental students, and other medical disciplines with healthcare professions who want to understand the fundamental of cranial nerves with key insights into the details of the nerves. The book is meant to provide a bridge between the healthy cranial nerves with normal functions and the clinical applications resulting from damage and paralysis to the nerves. In this book, students and healthcare professionals are learning the importance of each cranial nerve from the anatomical perspective that is often associated with its functions and the anatomical courses. Type of fibers, divisions, branches, how it works, relation with nearby structures, the applied clinical examination with assessment of the nerves during abnormal functions are additional learning elements of this book.