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Functional anatomy of the facial nerve

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Hemifacial Spasm

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Summary

Embryologic individualization of the facial nerve begins by the fifth week of gestation, but final arrangement occurs by the third month, including communication between the facial nerve and the branches f the trigeminal nerve. In the brainstem the specific nuclei of the facial nerve are located within five columns that correspond to the main functions; however, three quarters of the fibers of the motor component of the facial nerve are of the special visceral efferent type. Fibers’ topographical arrangement within the nerve stays controversial in man but seems to follow a partial diffuse type. Acoustico-facial reflex pathways have many clinical implications. Central connections of the facial motonucleus have been mainly demonstrated in animal. Trigeminal communications emphasize the “blink reflex of the orbicularis oculi muscles,” which is probably a nociceptive reflex with a complex multisynaptic pathway.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Otorhinolaryngology Department, Hopital Delafontaine, Saint-Denis, France

    H. Lacombe M.D

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  1. H. Lacombe M.D
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Hôpital Neurologique, Lyon, France

    Marc Sindou

  2. Hôpital Henri Mondor, Creteil, France

    Yves Keravel

  3. Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA

    Aage R. Møller

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© 1997 Springer-Verlag/Wien

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Lacombe, H. (1997). Functional anatomy of the facial nerve. In: Sindou, M., Keravel, Y., Møller, A.R. (eds) Hemifacial Spasm. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-6829-5_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-6829-5_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Vienna

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-7091-7416-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-7091-6829-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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