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Main article: Cranial nerves

Nerve: Accessory nerve
Course and distribution of the glossopharyngeal, vagus, and accessory nerves.
Plan of upper portions of glossopharyngeal, vagus, and accessory nerves.
Latin	n. accessorius
Gray's	subject #206 913
Innervates	sternocleidomastoid muscle, trapezius muscle
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MeSH	A08.800.800.120.060

The accessory nerve (or "Spinal accessory nerve") is the eleventh of twelve cranial nerves. It leaves the cranium through the jugular foramen along with the glossopharyngeal nerve (IX) and vagus nerve (X). It innervates the sternocleidomastoid muscle (sternomastoid) and trapezius muscle on the ipsilateral side.

There are two parts to the accessory nerve:

• A spinal part, that innervates the muscles around the neck.
• A cranial part, that splits off, and quickly combines with the vagus nerve. The cranial part of nerve XI can be thought of doing the exact same things as the vagus.

Testing the accessory nerveEdit

Getting a person to shrug their shoulders while you push down tests trapezius. When a person turns their head, especially against force, sternocleidomastoid should be prominent.

See alsoEdit

• Spinal accessory nucleus

References & BibliographyEdit

Key textsEdit

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Additional materialEdit

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External linksEdit

• Loyola
• Yale