Which action will be the major function of the glossopharyngeal nerve?

Swallowing and gagging

Muscular movement of the tongue

Tasting of food

Lateral movement of the eye

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is A

The glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX) provides motor innervation to the stylopharyngeus muscle and sensory fibers to the posterior oropharynx. It mediates the afferent limb of the gag reflex and facilitates the complex coordination of deglutition. This nerve also carries chemoreceptor signals from the carotid body.

A. Swallowing and gagging: The glossopharyngeal nerve is essential for the sensory perception of stimuli in the posterior pharynx that triggers the gag reflex. It also assists in elevating the pharynx during the swallowing process. These represent the primary motor and sensory clinical functions of CN IX.

B. Muscular movement of the tongue: This function is primarily controlled by the hypoglossal nerve (CN XII), which innervates the intrinsic and extrinsic tongue muscles. CN IX only provides sensory and taste input to the posterior tongue. It does not provide the motor drive for tongue protrusion or manipulation.

C. Tasting of food: While the glossopharyngeal nerve does transmit taste from the posterior third of the tongue, its "major" clinical function in a nursing assessment context often focuses on protective reflexes. Taste is a shared function with the facial and vagus nerves. Reflex integrity is a more critical survival function.

D. Lateral movement of the eye: This action is specifically governed by the abducens nerve (CN VI), which innervates the lateral rectus muscle. Eye movements are unrelated to the pharyngeal or lingual functions of the ninth cranial nerve. CN IX has no role in ocular kinematics or extraocular motor control.

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Correct Answer is B

Explanation

Muscle tone represents the tonic contraction of fibers that maintains posture and resists stretch. It is evaluated by moving a limb through its passive range of motion while assessing for hypotonia, spasticity, or rigidity. This physical finding helps localize lesions to either the corticospinal or extrapyramidal pathways.

A. Use a goniometer: A goniometer is an instrument used to measure the specific degree of joint range of motion, such as how many degrees a knee can flex. It quantifies joint mobility rather than the quality of muscle resistance or tone. It is a tool for measuring distance, not tension.

B. Feel the resistance to passive stretch: By moving the patient's relaxed limb, the nurse can feel the natural "give" or resistance of the muscles. This is the standard clinical method for assessing tone. It allows for the identification of abnormal resistance like spasticity or lead-pipe rigidity.

C. Determine muscle temperature: Skin or muscle temperature is assessed to check for inflammation, infection, or vascular perfusion. While a warm muscle may indicate an underlying inflammatory process, temperature does not correlate with neurological muscle tone. It is an integumentary or vascular finding.

D. Squeeze the muscle: Palpating or squeezing a muscle belly can identify tenderness, masses, or atrophy, but it does not evaluate how the muscle responds to movement. Tone is a dynamic property of the nervous system. Squeezing assesses tissue consistency rather than neurological tension.

A. Tinnitus B. Dizziness C. Vertigo D. Otalgia

Correct Answer is C

Explanation

Vertigo is a subjective sensation of illusory motion resulting from an imbalance in the vestibular system. It is often classified as peripheral, involving the semicircular canals, or central, involving the brainstem. The sensation of the environment spinning differentiates it from simple disequilibrium and is often triggered by changes in head position.

A. Tinnitus: This term refers to the perception of sound, such as ringing, buzzing, or hissing, in the absence of an external acoustic stimulus. While it often occurs alongside vestibular issues, it describes an auditory sensation rather than the perception of spinning or movement of the room.

B. Dizziness: Dizziness is a non-specific, umbrella term that can include lightheadedness, faintness, or unsteady feelings. While patients often use this word, the nurse must clarify the exact nature of the sensation. It is less specific than the term required to describe a spinning sensation.

C. Vertigo: This is the precise medical term used to document the sensation that the room or the patient is spinning. It indicates a vestibular or neurological origin for the patient's complaint. Documentation of vertigo helps clinicians narrow down the differential diagnosis to inner ear or cerebellar issues.

D. Otalgia: Otalgia is the medical term for ear pain, which can be primary (originating in the ear) or referred (from the jaw or throat). While ear pathology can cause vertigo, otalgia itself does not describe the sensation of motion. It is a sensory report of discomfort, not imbalance.

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Which action will be the major function of the glossopharyngeal nerve?

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Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

In which way should a nurse assess muscle tone?

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

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Correct Answer is C

Explanation

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