Nuclei of the Vagus Nerve
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Let's take a look at the real origin of the vagus nerve.
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Now, this is a little bit tough.
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We've got three sensory components, and I'm going to
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use my beloved blue color to demonstrate them.
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We've got the dorsal sensory nucleus,
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which is pretty small, sits right about here.
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Then we've got the round nucleus that sits right next
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to it, slightly posterior and lateral to it.
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And that is also a sensory component.
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And then we have the nucleus of the solitary tract,
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which contributes to nine and ten.
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That's going to be over here.
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Now let's go for some motor contribution,
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real origin structures.
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And these you're familiar with from
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the glossopharyngeal nerve.
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One is the nucleus ambiguus, and it contributes,
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actually, it's a little more posterior right about here.
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Do a little erasing right there.
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And then we've got, posterior to that,
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and a little more medial,
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right under the fourth ventricle is
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the inferior salivary nucleus.
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And the inferior salivary nucleus actually travels just
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mesial or medial to it
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is the spinal nucleus of the vagus nerve,
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which I'm just going to put as a little blip
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with another little red dot next to it.
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So that is the real origin of the vagus nerve.
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Now, besides giving some output to various organs,
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the vagus nerve comprises between
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80 and 90% of afferent nerves,
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mostly conveying sensory information about the state
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of the body's organs to the central nervous system.
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The real origin of the vagus nerve, rather complex,
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giving rise to the actual apparent
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origin of the vagus nerve,
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which has an anterolateral course and then reaches a space
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between the carotid artery and the jugular vein.
Stephen J Pomeranz, MD
Chief Medical Officer, ProScan Imaging. Founder, MRI Online
ProScan Imaging
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