Prepare for the NCLEX-RN® by learning more about facial nerve dysfunction: Understanding Bell’s palsy and its cranial nerve involvement. Get informed and stay prepared for your nursing journey.
A client with a history of Bell palsy presents to the emergency department with a right facial droop. The nurse recognizes that Bell palsy is a dysfunction of which cranial nerve?
A. I
B. IV
C. VII
D. IX
Scroll down for the correct answer!
The correct answer to today’s NCLEX-RN® Question is…
C. VII
Rationale: Cranial nerve VII, or the facial nerve, is the nerve involved in Bell palsy. Damage to this nerve may cause weakness or paralysis of the muscles on one side of the face.
Major Takeaway
Bell palsy is a condition characterized by weakness or paralysis of the muscles on one side of the face caused by damage to cranial nerve VII, also known as the facial nerve.
Incorrect answer explanations
A. I
Rationale: Cranial nerve I, or the olfactory nerve, is responsible for relaying the sensory stimuli from smells to the brain’s olfactory center for interpretation. Cranial nerve I is not involved in Bell palsy.
B. IV
Rationale: Cranial nerve IV, or the trochlear nerve, controls the actions of the superior oblique eye muscle, which turns the eye inward and downward. Cranial nerve IV is not involved in Bell palsy.
D. IX
Rationale: Cranial nerve IX, or the hypoglossal nerve, has motor and sensory functions involving the tongue. Cranial nerve IX is not involved in Bell palsy.
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