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Cranial Nerves
 
 

CN III: Oculomotor Nerve

 
 
 
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On this page:Occulomotor Nerve PalsyMotor PathwayParasympathetic Pathway
 View Topic Outline

Overview

    • Roles

    • Somatic motor - eye movement, eye opening
    • Visceral motor (parasympathetic) - pupillary & ciliary muscles

Occulomotor Nerve Palsy

    • Abnormalities

    • Eye deviated down and out
    • Diplopia
    • Ptosis
    • Mydriasis (pupillary dilatation)
    • Loss of pupillary reflexes

    • Causes of Oculomotor Nerve Palsy

    • Small-vessel ischaemia
    • Midbrain infarct
    • Head trauma
    • Tumour
    • Aneurysm (commonly PCA)

Motor Pathway

  • Eye movement and eye opening
  • Cortical Centre
    Primary motor cortex (frontal lobe)
     
     
    Oculomotor Nucleus
    Superior colliculus (midbrain)
     
    Pathway
    Tegmentum, red nucleus, medial substantia nigra
    Foramen
    Superior orbital fissure
    Division
    Superior and inferior branches
     
     
    Muscle
    Superior branch - superior rectus, levator palpabrae superioris
    Inferior branch - inferior rectus, medial rectus, inferior oblique

Parasympathetic Pathway

  • Pupillary and ciliary movement
  • Edinger-Westphal nucleus
    Superior colliculus (midbrain)
     
    Pathway
    Tegmentum, red nucleus, medial substantia nigra
    Foramen
    Superior orbital fissure
     
     
    Ciliary Ganglion
     
     
    Muscle
    Constrictor pupillae, ciliary muscles
 
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