Which cranial nerve would the nurse assess when an older adult patient reports difficulty hearing and requesting people to repeat themselves constantly?

B. Cranial nerve X

Rationale
Cranial nerves emerge from the brain and exchange information between the brain and parts of the body. Cranial nerve X, the vagal nerve, transfers information from the heart, lungs, and the digestive system. Cranial nerve IX, the glossopharyngeal nerve, transports nervous stimulations from the pharynx and tongue to the brain. Cranial nerve XI, the accessory nerve, supports motor function to the sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles. Cranial nerve XII, the hypoglossal nerve, controls the extrinsic muscles of the tongue.
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C. Patient C: Lower motor neuro lesion

Rationale
The cell bodies of lower motor neurons send axons to innervate the skeletal muscles of the legs, arms, and trunk, and, therefore control the body movements. A lower motor neuron lesion, as observed in Patient C, causes difficulty in body movement and is likely to result in paralysis. A left cerebral cortex lesion, observed in Patient A, results in dysphasia and speech difficulties. A cerebral cortex lesion, as observed in Patient B, causes apraxia. The patient with apraxia is unable to perform learned movements despite of having the physical ability to perform them. A lesion in the right parietal cortex, as seen in Patient D, may cause anosognosia, characterized by an inability to recognize a bodily defect or disease.
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B. CN III (oculomotor)
C. CN IV (trochlear)
E. CN VI (abducens)

Rationale
Cranial nerve III (oculomotor), cranial nerve IV (trochlear), and cranial nerve VI (abducens) help move the eye and are tested together. The oculomotor nerve controls the movement of the pupil and is reflected in the documentation PERRLA (pupils equal, round, react to light, and accommodation). The trochlear and abducens nerves control the movement of the eye into the six cardinal gazes reflected in the extraocular movements (EOMs). The optic nerve, cranial nerve II, is assessed through checking visual acuity. The facial nerve, cranial nerve VII, has a sensory and motor branch and is assessed through raising the eyebrows, smiling, frowning, pursing lips, and through interpretation of sweet and salty taste on the anterior two-thirds of the tongue.
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D. Ask the patient to stand with feet together and then close his or her eyes.
E. Ask the patient the position of the big toe after moving it up and down with the patient's eyes closed.

Rationale
Proprioception is the individual's ability to perceive the position of a body part with his or her eyes closed. The individual should be able to replicate the position of the body part accurately with the opposite extremity or describe the position verbally. A Romberg test is the test for proprioception. The patient is asked to stand with the feet together and then close his or her eyes. If the patient is able to maintain balance with the eyes open but sways or falls with the eyes closed (i.e., a positive Romberg test), vestibulocochlear dysfunction or disease in the posterior columns of the spinal cord may be indicated.

Test-Taking Tip: Key words or phrases in the stem of the question such as first, primary, early, or best are important. Similarly, words such as only, always, never, and all in the alternatives are frequently evidence of a wrong response. As in life, no real absolutes exist in nursing; however, every rule has its exceptions, so answer with care.
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What cranial nerve may not be functioning properly if a patient Cannot detect taste on the anterior tongue quizlet?

Which finding would the nurse expect to identify in the geriatric patient experiencing changes in the reticular activating system?

Which functions would the nurse be able to assess when performing a pupillary assessment on an unconscious patient?

Which cerebral lobe contains the auditory receptive areas?