Oh Oh Oh To Touch And Feel Very Good Velvet AH

Cranial Nerves Mnemonic

Author: Lily Guo, MD

Editor: Alyssa Haag, MD

Editor: Emily Miao, MD, PharmD

Editor: Kelsey LaFayette, DNP, ARNP, FNP-C

Illustrator: Jannat Day

Modified: Jan 06, 2025

What are cranial nerves?

The cranial nerves (CN) are 12 pairs of nerves in the brainstem that have sensory and motor functions, mainly in the head, face, and neck. Examples of the functions of the cranial nerves include supplying our sense of smell, vision, hearing, and sensation. Neurological examination of the cranial nerves plays a significant role in the evaluation and diagnosis of several medical conditions (e.g., stroke, trauma). The first and second cranial nerves (i.e., the olfactory and optic nerve, respectively) are considered extensions of the central nervous system, whereas the 10 other cranial nerves are part of the peripheral nervous system.

An infographic detailing the cranial nerves mnemonic, Oh Oh Oh To Touch And Feel Very Good Velvet AH.

What is Oh Oh Oh To Touch And Feel Very Good Velvet AH?

The mnemonic, Oh Oh Oh To Touch And Feel Very Good Velvet AH, refers to the cranial nerves that are also denoted by Roman numerals, namely the olfactory nerve (CN I), optic nerve (CNII), oculomotor nerve (CNIII), trochlear nerve (CNIV), trigeminal nerve (CNV), abducens nerve (CNVI), facial nerve (CNVII), vestibulocochlear nerve (CNVIII), glossopharyngeal nerve (CNIX), vagus nerve (CNX), accessory nerve (CNXI), and hypoglossal nerve (CNXII).

What does the first “Oh” in Oh Oh Oh To Touch And Feel Very Good Velvet AH mean?

The first “Oh” refers to the olfactory nerve, also known as cranial nerve I. The olfactory nerve is responsible for sense of smell. Traumatic injury, specifically “whiplash” from automobile collisions, can injure the olfactory nerve, disrupting its connection with the olfactory bulb in the brain, resulting in anosmia (i.e., loss of sense of smell).

What does the second “Oh” in Oh Oh Oh To Touch And Feel Very Good Velvet AH mean?

The second “Oh” refers to the optic nerve, or cranial nerve II. The optic nerve transmits signals from the retina located in the back of the eye to the brain. It is responsible for controlling acuity (i.e., the sharpness of vision) and visual field.

What does the third “Oh” in Oh Oh Oh To Touch And Feel Very Good Velvet AH mean?

The third “Oh” refers to the oculomotor nerve, or cranial nerve III. This nerve along with the trochlear nerve and the abducens nerve are responsible for controlling extraocular muscles involved in eyeball movement. The oculomotor nerve also controls elevation of the upper eyelid muscle and controls the pupillary muscle. This muscle controls pupil size and reactivity to light. For example, it constricts the pupil to allow less light in under bright conditions and relaxes (i.e., dilates the pupil) to allow more light to enter when the environment is dark. Lastly, the oculomotor nerve controls the ciliary muscle in the eye, which is responsible for accommodation of the lens (i.e., the ability to view objects at varying distances).

What does “To” in Oh Oh Oh To Touch And Feel Very Good Velvet AH mean?

The “To” refers to the trochlear nerve, or cranial nerve IV. This nerve innervates the contralateral (i.e., opposite side of the body) superior oblique muscle. This muscle sits on the superior surface of the eyeball and allows the eye to point downward and inward.

What does “Touch” in Oh Oh Oh To Touch And Feel Very Good Velvet AH mean?

The “Touch” refers to the trigeminal nerve, or cranial nerve V. The trigeminal nerve innervates muscles responsible for most of the face and mouth’s sensation and controls the muscles of mastication (i.e., the chewing muscles) including the masseter, temporalis, lateral pterygoids, and medial pterygoids. It is divided into three branches: the ophthalmic, (V1), maxillary (V2), and mandibular (V3). The ophthalmic branch gives sensation to parts of the eyes and eyelid, skin on the nose, and the forehead. The maxillary branch gives sensation to the middle third of the face, side of the nose, upper teeth, and the lower eyelid. The mandibular branch gives sensation to the lower third of the face, the tongue, mucosa in the mouth, and lower teeth. Compression or irritation of the trigeminal nerve may result in a chronic pain condition referred to as trigeminal neuralgia, characterized by episodic, sharp facial pain often triggered by daily activities (e.g., chewing, touching face, talking).

What does “And” in Oh Oh Oh To Touch And Feel Very Good Velvet AH mean?

The “And” refers to the abducens nerve, or cranial nerve VI. This nerve innervates the lateral rectus muscle of the eyeball, which allows for abduction or movement of the eye away from the nose and outward.

What does “Feel” in Oh Oh Oh To Touch And Feel Very Good Velvet AH mean?

The “Feel” refers to the facial nerve, or cranial nerve VII. The facial nerve controls muscles including the frontalis, occipitalis, and procerus muscles used for facial expressions. The facial nerve also controls eyelid and lip closure, taste sensation from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue, salivary gland secretion, and sensation of the external ear.

What does “Very” in Oh Oh Oh To Touch And Feel Very Good Velvet AH mean?

The “Very” refers to the vestibulocochlear nerve, or cranial nerve VIII. The vestibulocochlear nerve is responsible for innervating muscles involved in hearing and balance or equilibrium. The nerve is comprised of two components: the vestibular nerve and the cochlear nerve. The vestibular nerve allows the body to sense changes in the head's position to maintain balance. The cochlear nerve transmits the frequency and magnitude of sound coming from the environment. Damage to the vestibular component results in dizziness and loss of balance whereas damage to the cochlear component results in hearing loss.

What does “Good” in Oh Oh Oh To Touch And Feel Very Good Velvet AH mean?

The “Good” refers to the glossopharyngeal nerve, or cranial nerve IX. This nerve is responsible for innervating muscles involved in gagging, by supplying sensory information from the throat, tonsils, and back of the tongue. It also controls swallowing by innervating the stylopharyngeus, a muscle that causes the throat to shorten and widen. Additionally, the glossopharyngeal nerve allows for the sensation of taste on the posterior one-third of the tongue.

What does “Velvet” in Oh Oh Oh To Touch And Feel Very Good Velvet AH mean?

The “Velvet” refers to the vagus nerve, or cranial nerve X. This nerve is also responsible for innervating muscles involved in speech and swallowing by innervating the levator veli palatini, the salpingopharyngeus, and the palatopharyngeus which all play a role in controlling the soft palate, pharynx, and larynx. The vagus nerve also innervates the uvula, which plays a role in the gag reflex; provides sensation to the outer part of the ear, throat, heart, and abdominal organs; and plays a role in taste sensation. Notably, the vagus nerve also has a parasympathetic component which regulates heart rhythm and innervates smooth muscles in the airway and gastrointestinal tract.

What does “AH” in Oh Oh Oh To Touch And Feel Very Good Velvet AH mean?

The “AH” refers to the spinal accessory and hypoglossal nerves, also known as cranial nerves XI and XII, respectively. The spinal accessory nerve is responsible for innervating the sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles, which together move the neck and shoulders.

The hypoglossal nerve is responsible for innervating muscles that allow tongue movements necessary for speech and swallowing, like moving the tongue side-to-side or sticking the tongue out.

What are the most important facts to know about the Oh Oh Oh To Touch And Feel Very Good Velvet AH mnemonic?

The mnemonic, Oh Oh Oh To Touch And Feel Very Good Velvet AH, refers to the cranial nerves: olfactory (I) which controls smell; optic (II) which controls vision; oculomotor (III) for eye movement and pupil constriction; trochlear (IV) controlling downward and inward rotation of the eye; trigeminal (V) for facial sensation and chewing; abducens (VI) for lateral eye movement; facial (VII) for facial expressions and taste; vestibulocochlear (VIII) for hearing and balance; glossopharyngeal (IX) for taste and swallowing; vagus (X) controlling speech, swallowing, and heart rate; spinal accessory (XI) for neck and shoulder movement; and lastly, hypoglossal (XII) for tongue movement.

References

Cranial Nerves. SEER Training. training.seer.cancer.gov. https://training.seer.cancer.gov/brain/tumors/anatomy/nerves.html

Damodaran O, Rizk E, Rodriguez J, et al. Cranial nerve assessment: A concise guide to clinical examination. Clin Anat. 2014;27(1):25–30.

Taylor A, Mourad F, Kerry R, Hutting N. A guide to cranial nerve testing for musculoskeletal clinicians. J Man Manip Ther. 2021 Dec;29(6):376-389. doi: 10.1080/10669817.2021.1937813. Epub 2021 Jun 29. PMID: 34182898; PMCID: PMC8725776.