Cranial nerves (mnemonic)
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Gaillard F, Knipe H, Yu Jin T, et al. Cranial nerves (mnemonic). Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 22 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-7001
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rID:
7001
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Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Frank Gaillard had no recorded disclosures.
View Frank Gaillard's current disclosures
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Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Henry Knipe had no recorded disclosures.
View Henry Knipe's current disclosures
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Synonyms:
- On old Olympus's towering top a Fin and German viewed some hops (mnemonic)
- Ooh, Ooh, Ooh, to touch and feel very good velvet. Such heaven! (mnemonic)
- Some say marry money but my brother says big brains matter more (mnemonic)
- Some say my mother bought my brother some bad beer, my, my (mnemonic)
There are many cranial nerve mnemonics that can be memorable and rude/lewd. Either way, they can be helpful for remembering the names of the twelve cranial nerves, as well as remembering which nerves are sensory, motor, or both.
Remembering cranial nerve names in order of CN I to CN XII:
- On old Olympus's towering top a Finn and German viewed some hops 2
- Ooh, ooh, ooh to touch and feel very good velvet. Such heaven!
Remembering functional information:
S: sensory; m: motor; b: both
- Some say marry money but my brother says big brains matter more
- Some say my mother bought my brother some bad beer, my, my
Mnemonics
On old Olympus's towering top a Finn and German viewed some hops
Ooh, Ooh, Ooh, to touch and feel very good velvet. Such heaven!
- O: olfactory nerve (CN I)
- O: optic nerve (CN II)
- O: oculomotor nerve (CN III)
- T: trochlear nerve (CN IV)
- T: trigeminal nerve(CN V)
- A: abducens nerve (CN VI)
- F: facial nerve (CN VII)
- A: auditory (or vestibulocochlear) nerve (CN VIII)
- G: glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)
- V: vagus nerve (CN X)
- S: spinal accessory nerve (CN XI)
- H: hypoglossal nerve (CN XII)
Some say marry money but my brother says big brains matter more
Some say my mother bought my brother some bad beer, my, my
- S: sensory (olfactory nerve - CN I)
- S: sensory (optic nerve - CN II)
- M: motor (oculomotor nerve - CN III)
- M: motor (trochlear nerve - CN IV)
- B: both (trigeminal nerve - CN V)
- M: motor (abducens nerve - CN VI)
- B: both (facial nerve - CN VII)
- S: sensory (vestibulocochlear nerve - CN VIII)
- B: both (glossopharyngeal nerve CN IX)
- B: both (vagus nerve - CN X)
- M: motor (spinal accessory nerve - CN XI)
- M: motor (hypoglossal nerve - CN XII)
If you write out the mnemonic for remembering the names next to the mnemonic for their function then they will align giving you an easier way to remember both the cranial nerve names and their function.
References
- 1. Wang KC, Mukhtar RA. Hardcore Neuroscience. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. (2006) ISBN:1405104716. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 2. http://www.worldlibrary.org/articles/list_of_mnemonics_for_the_cranial_nerves
- 3. Erich Segal. Doctors. ISBN: 9780553278118
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