1. Lecture: 7 Dr. Eyad M. Hussein
Anatomy and Physiology of the Ocular Cranial Nerves
Dr. Eyad M. Hussein
Ph.D of Neurology
Consultant in Neurology Department,
Nasser Hospital,
Assistant Professor,
Faculty of Medicine, Islamic University
Faculty of Dentistry, University of Palestine

2. الرجاء تحويل الجوال إلى وضع الصامت مع الشكر
الرجاء تحويل الجوال إلى وضع الصامت مع الشكر

3. The Cranial Nerves
The cranial nerves are consist of 12 pairs of nerves that arise
from the brain.  
They exit/enter the cranium through openings in the skull.
The olfactory, optic and vestibulocochlear nerves are
purely sensory nerves “special sensory” (128).
The oculomotor, trochlear, abducent, accessory and
hypoglossal nerves are purely motor nerves.
The trigeminal, facial, glossopharyngeal and vagus nerves
are mixed nerves (10975).

4. Classification of the Cranial Nerves
Opening in the skull
Site of nucleus
Function
Name №
Cribriform plate
Temporal Lobe
Smell
Olfactory 1
Optic canal
Occipital lobe
Vision
Optic 2
Superior orbital fissure
Midbrain
Motor
Oculomotor 3
Trochlear 4
Foramen rotundum
Foramen ovale
Midbrain, Pons
Pons
Medulla oblongata
Upper C. spinal cord
Sensory
Mixed
Trigeminal:
Ophthalmic
Maxillary
Mandibular 5
Abducent 6
Internal acoustic meatus, Facial canal, Stylomastoid foramen
Facial 7
Internal acoustic meatus
Hearing and balance
Vestibulo-cochlear 8
Jugular foramen
Glossopharyngeal 9
Vagus 10
Medulla oblongata & C1-C4 AHC
of spinal cord
Accessory 11
Hypoglossal canal
Hypoglossal 12

6. The ocular Nerves (III, IV, VI)
1. Oculomotor nerve: (Latin for "eye" and "moving").
Function:
1. Motor function: movement of the eye ball.
2. Autonomic (parasympathetic): pupillary reaction.
2. Trochlear nerve:
Function: motor nerve → supplies the superior oblique muscles.
3. Abducent nerve: (Latin for "abduction").
Function: motor nerve → abducts (laterally) the eye ball → supplies the lateral rectus muscle.

7. The oculomotor Nerve (III)
Oculomotor nerve: (Latin for "eye" and "moving").
Function:
1. Motor function: movement of the eye ball.
2. Autonomic (parasympathetic): pupillary reaction.
Site of nucleus: it lies in the tegmentum of midbrain.

8. The Oculomotor Nerve The Oculomotor nerve is purely a motor nerve.
Emerges from the anterior surface of the midbrain.
The oculomotor nerve travels in the upper lateral wall of
the cavernous sinus and then enters the orbit via the
superior orbital fissure of the sphenoid bone.

11. The oculomotor N. supplies all of the intra- and extraocular muscles except:
Superior oblique muscle → from the trochlear nerve – IV.
Lateral rectus muscle → from the abducent nerve –VI.
Dilator pupillae muscle → from the sympathetic fibers.
Muller’s muscle → from the sympathetic fibers.

12. Structure of Oculomotor Nuclei
1. The Edinger-Westphal nucleus: parasympathetic function
which supplies two intraocular muscles:
a. Constrictor pupillae muscle → Miosis.
b. Ciliary muscle → Responsible for light and
accommodation reflexes.
2. The lateral cell mass (motor function): which is divided into
five parts which supplies five extra ocular muscles which are
from above downwards:
a. Levator palpebrea superior muscle.
b. Superior rectus muscle.
c. Medial rectus muscle.
d. Inferior oblique muscle.
e. Inferior rectus muscle.
3. The central nucleus of Perlia: motor function which supplies
the medial recti muscles of the two eyes allowing to contract
together when both eyes converge to look to a near object.

14. Branches of the Oculomotor Nerve
1. Superior division: which supplies the:
a. Levator palpebrea superior muscle.
b. Superior rectus muscle.
2. Inferior division: which supplies the:
a. Medial rectus muscle.
b. Inferior rectus muscle.
c. Inferior oblique muscle.
d. Constrictor pupillae muscle (via cilliary ganglion).
e. Ciliary muscle (via cilliary ganglion).

21. The Actions of the Ocular Muscles
Lateral Rectus Muscle: abducts (laterally) the eye ball.
Medial Rectus Muscle: adducts (medially) the eye ball.
Superior Rectus Muscle: elevates, adducts and rotates medially.
Inferior Rectus Muscle: depresses, adducts and rotates medially.
Superior Oblique Muscle: depresses, abducts and rotates laterally.
Inferior Oblique Muscle: elevates, abducts and rotates laterally.

24. The Trochlear Nerve (IV)
The trochlear nerve is motor nerve.
Function: motor nerve → supplies the superior oblique muscles → depresses, abducts and rotates laterally the eye ball.
Site of the nucleus: it lies in the tegmentum of the midbrain.

26. The Trochlear Nerve It is the smallest cranial nerve.
The trochlear nerve is purely a motor nerve.
The trochlear nerve emerges from the posterior surface of
the midbrain.
The nerve travels in the upper lateral wall of the cavernous
sinus and then enters the orbit via the superior orbital
fissure of the sphenoid bone where it supplies the superior
oblique muscle of the eye that controls downward and
lateral movement of the eyeball.

30. The Abducent Nerve (VI)
Abducent nerve: (Latin for "abduction").
The abducent nerve is so called because lateral rectus muscle (which it supplies) abducts the eyeball.
Function: motor nerve → abducts (laterally) the eye ball → supplies the lateral rectus muscle (abduction).
Site of the nucleus: it lies in the lower part of the ventral surface of pons.

32. The Abducent Nerve The abducent nerve is purely a motor nerve.
The abducent nerve emerges from the lower border of the pons (between the pons and medulla oblongata).
The abducent nerve travels the medial wall of the cavernous sinus and then enters the orbit via the superior orbital fissure of the sphenoid bone where it supplies the lateral rectus muscle of the eye that controls abduction of the eye.

36. Lesion of the Oculomotor Nerve
Ptosis: paresis of the levator palpebrea superior muscle.
Diplopia: occurs only on elevation of eye lid.
Squint: divergent paralytic.
Mydriasis: dilated fixed pupil.
Loss of light and accommodation reflexes.

37. Lesion of the Trochlear Nerve Lesion of the Abducent Nerve
Diplopia on looking down and out.
Limitation of movement during examination for eye movement down and out.
Lesion of the Abducent Nerve
Diplopia on looking out wards.
Limitation during examination of eye movement in the outward direction.
Convergent paralytic squint.

38. Causes of the Ocular Nerves Lesion
Lesions of the III, IV, and VI cranial nerves or nuclei.
Disorders of the neuromuscular junction (e.g.myasthenia gravis, Botulism).
Disorder of the ocular muscles (e.g myopathy).
Injury of the ocular muscle.
Orbital lesion (mass, inflammation).

39. Complete External Ophthalmoplegia
Describes the immobile eye when the III, IV, and VI nerves are
paralysed by:
1. Orbital tumor or inflammation.
2. Cavernous sinus thrombosis.
3. Tolosa-Hunt syndrome: is characterized by painful
ophthalmoplegia (weakness of the eye muscles) and is
caused by an idiopathic granulomatous inflammation of the
cavernous sinus.

40. Parasympathetic Supply of the Pupils
The nucleus of oculomotor nerve (Edinger-Westphal nucleus) in midbrain → through oculomotor nerve → nerve to inferior obliqe muscle → ciliary ganglion → fiber in the short cilliary nerve → supply the constrictor pupillae muscle → pupil constriction

43. Sympathetic Supply of the Pupils
The fibers start from hypothalamus, descends through the brain stem and cervical part of the spinal cord to the lateral horn cells of C8 – T2 segment → preganglionic fibers → sympathetic chain → relay in the superior cervical sympathetic ganglion. Postganglionic fibers pass with carotid plexus (around ICA) → long ciliary nerve → dilator pupillae muscle → pupil dilatation.

46. Thank You