Cranial Nerve Examination

            1. Cranial nerve I: Ask patient about smelling. Test with different flavours (rarely require in the  ophthalmology examination)

            2. Cranial nerve II.
             

            •     visual acuity
            •     visual field
            •     colour vision
            •     optic disc appearance

            3. Cranial nerve III, IV and VI
             

            •     eye movement
            •     ptosis (III nerve) and pupil reaction to light (II & III nerve)

            4. Cranial nerve V
             

            •     jaw power
            •     sensation of face
            •     corneal and jaw reflexes

            5. Cranial nerve VII
             

            •     facial power (orbicularis oculi, blink lag, buccinator,

              •         orb oris)
            •     upper or lower motor lesion

            6. Cranial nerve VIII
             

            •     hearing
            •     Weber/Rinne tests

            7. Cranial nerve IX
             

            •     gag reflex

            8. Cranial nerve X
             

            •     soft palate elevation and deviation
            •     gag reflex

            9. Cranial nerve XI
             

            •     shoulder elevation (trapezius and sternomastoid)

            10. Cranial nerve XII
             

            •      tongue function; wasting / fasciculation
             

            The most common case in which there is multiple cranial nerve palsies in the MRCOphth /FRCOphth setting is cavernous sinus fistula. Rarely, you have patient with old basal skull fracture with seventh and sixth nerves palsy. However, the examiner may ask you to perform the cranial nerves examination just to see how slick you are in perform this test.

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