cranial nerve nucleus cranial nerve nucleus a cranial nerve nucleus is a collection of neurons (gray matter) in the brain stem that is associated with one or more of the cranial nerves. axons carrying information to and from the cranial nerves form a synapse first at these nuclei. lesions occurring at these nuclei can lead to effects resembling those seen by the severing of nerve(s) they are associated with. all the nuclei except that of the trochlear nerve (cn iv) supply nerves of the same side of the body. cranial nerve nucleusthe cranial nerve nuclei schematically represented; dorsal view. motor nuclei in red; sensory in blue. (the olfactory and optic centers are not represented.)detailsidentifierslatinnucleus nervi cranialisneurolex idnlx_28532ta98a14.1.00.004ta25857fma54501anatomical terms of neuroanatomy structure motor and sensory in general, motor nuclei are closer to the front (ventral), and sensory nuclei and neurons are closer to the back (dorsal). this arrangement mirrors the arrangement of tracts in the spinal cord. close to the midline are the motor efferent nuclei, such as the oculomotor nucleus, which control skeletal muscle. just lateral to this are the autonomic (or visceral) efferent nuclei. there is a separation, called the sulcus limitans, and lateral to this are the sensory nuclei. near the sulcus limitans are the visceral afferent nuclei, namely the solitary tract nucleus. more lateral, but also less posterior, are the general somatic afferent nuclei. this is the trigeminal nucleus. back at the dorsal surface of the brainstem, and more lateral are the special somatic afferents, this handles sensation such as balance. another area, not on the dorsum of the brainstem, is where the special visceral efferents nuclei reside. these formed from the pharyngeal arches, in the embryo. this area is a bit below the autonomic motor nuclei, and includes the nucleus ambiguus, facial nerve nucleus, as well as the motor part of the trigeminal nerve nucleus. location this list documents nuclei by the part of the brain they are found in: nuclei present in the midbrain red nucleus - motor, extrapyramidal trochlear nucleus (iv) - motor oculomotor nucleus (iii) - motor edinger-westphal nucleus (iii) - visceromotor nuclei present in the pons cochlear nuclei (viii) - sensory dorsal cochlear nucleus ventral cochlear nucleus vestibular nuclei (viii) - sensory salivary nuclei - visceromotor inferior salivary nucleus (ix) superior salivary nucleus (vii) facial nucleus (vii) - motor abducens nucleus (vi) - motor trigeminal motor nucleus (v) - motor main trigeminal nucleus (v) - sensory (fine touch and vibration) nuclei present in the medulla micrograph of the posterior portion of the open part of the medulla oblongata, showing the fourth ventricle (top of image) and the hypoglossal nucleus (medial - left of image) and the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve (lateral - right of image). h&e-lfb stain. hypoglossal nucleus (xii) - motor dorsal motor nucleus of vagus nerve (x) - visceromotor nucleus ambiguus (ix, x, xi) - motor solitary nucleus (vii, ix, x) - sensory spinal trigeminal nucleus (v) - sensory (crude touch, temperature and pain) inferior olivary nucleus afferent fibres to cerebellum location nuclei of the cranial nerves olfactory nerveolfactory bulb optic nervelateral geniculate nucleus oculomotor nerveoculomotor nucleusedinger-westphal nucleus trochlear nervetrochlear nucleus trigeminal nervetrigeminal nerve nuclei:mesencephalic nucleusprincipal sensory nucleusspinal trigeminal nucleustrigeminal motor nucleus abducens nerveabducens nucleus facial nervefacial motor nucleussuperior salivatory nucleussolitary nucleus vestibulocochlear nervevestibular nucleiw. subnucleicochlear nucleusw. subnuclei glossopharyngeal nervesolitary nucleusspinal nucleus of the trigeminal nervelateral nucleus of vagal trigone.nucleus ambiguusinferior salivatory nucleus vagus nervedorsal nucleus of vagus nervenucleus ambiguussolitary nucleusspinal trigeminal nucleus accessory nervespinal accessory nucleusnucleus ambiguus hypoglossal nervehypoglossal nucleus