The cranial nerve nuclei are a series of bilateral grey matter motor and sensory nuclei located in the midbrain, pons and medulla that are the collections of afferent and efferent cell bodies for many of the cranial nerves.
Some nuclei are small and contribute to a single cranial nerve, such as some of the motor nuclei. Other nuclei, however, are long and span several regions of the brainstem contributing to several cranial nerves. Several motor and sensory nuclei form longitudinal columns in the brainstem, leading to some authors describing them as single discontinuous longitudinal nuclear columns rather than the more numerous individual separate nuclei. Three long discontinuous efferent columns have been described: somatic, branchiomotor and parasympathetic.
Extensive interconnections exist between many of these nuclei, as well as with other brainstem nuclei and white matter tracts, such as the medial lemniscus and medial longitudinal fasciculus.
Nuclei
oculomotor nucleus: somatic motor nucleus for the oculomotor nerve
Edinger-Westphal nucleus: general visceral motor (parasympathetic) nucleus for the oculomotor nerve
trochlear nucleus: somatic motor nucleus for the trochlear nerve
motor nucleus of CN V: somatic motor nucleus for the trigeminal nerve
mesencephalic nucleus of CN V: somatic sensory nucleus for the trigeminal nerve
main sensory nucleus of CN V: facial tactile sensation and proprioceptive input from the temporomandibular joint
spinal nucleus of CN V: somatic sensory nucleus for the trigeminal, facial, glossopharyngeal and vagus nerves
abducens nucleus: somatic motor nucleus for the abducens nerve
facial nucleus: special visceral motor (branchial) nucleus for the facial nerve
superior salivatory nucleus: general visceral motor (parasympathetic) nucleus for the facial nerve
cochlear nuclei: group of two special sensory nuclei for the cochlear branch of the vestibulocochlear nerve
vestibular nuclei: group of four special sensory nuclei for the superior and inferior vestibular branches of the vestibulocochlear nerve
inferior salivatory nucleus: general visceral motor (parasympathetic) nucleus for the glossopharyngeal nerve
solitary tract nucleus: special visceral sensory nucleus for the facial, glossopharyngeal and vagus nerves
nucleus ambiguus: special visceral motor (branchial) nucleus for the glossopharyngeal and vagus nerves
dorsal motor nucleus: general visceral motor (parasympathetic) nucleus for the vagus nerve
hypoglossal nucleus: somatic motor nucleus for the hypoglossal nerve
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