Intro | Abducens | Facial | Glossopharyngeal | Hypoglossal | Oculomotor | Optic | Spinal Accessory | Statoacoustic | Trigeminal | Trochlear | Vagus
Part 1: Image-Mapped Tutorial
Part 2: Matching Self-Test
Part 3: Multiple-Choice Self-Test
Cranial Nerve 11 - Spinal Accessory (XI)
The spinal accessory nerve is a purely motor nerve that controls movements of shoulders and head. It also contributes to the parasympathetic control of body viscera.
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The accessory nerve is primarily motor in function and consists of two portions, the cranial and spinal (Parent, 1996). The cranial portion arises from the medulla and passes through the jugular foramen to supply the voluntary muscles of the pharynx, larynx, and soft palate for the control of swallowing. The spinal portion arises from the ventral grey horn of the first five cervical levels of the spinal cord and passes through the jugular foramen to innervate the sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles for controlling head movements.
| Reference |
Parent, A. (1996). Carpenter's human neuroanatomy (9th ed.). London: Williams & Wilkins.