Practical Aspects of Monitoring Cranial Motor Nerves

Abstract

Cranial motor nerves are at risk of being injured during many neurosurgical operations of the skull base, such as operations to remove different kinds of tumor. Cranial motor nerves can also be at risk during operations on the vascular system of the brain. The risk of loss of function of cranial motor nerves during surgical procedures can be reduced by appropriate use of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring, thus decreasing the risk of postoperative deficits that have more or less severe consequences. Methods are available that can monitor the motor function of cranial nerves CN III, CN IV, CN V, CN VI, CN IX, CN X, CN XI, and CN XII.