What is the function of the trigeminal nerve?
Feb 06, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Lv Zhiqin
Introduction
The trigeminal nerve is the main sensory nerve of the face, responsible for transmitting sensations from the facial skin, eyes, nose, and oral mucosa. It divides into three branches: the ophthalmic nerve, the maxillary nerve, and the mandibular nerve, each innervating different regions. These sensations include touch, pain, and temperature, enabling us to perceive various stimuli on the face.
Under normal circumstances, the trigeminal nerve is the fifth pair of cranial nerves, primarily located in the pons region within the skull. Detailed analysis is as follows:
The trigeminal nerve is the main sensory nerve of the face, responsible for transmitting sensations from the facial skin, eyes, nose, and oral mucosa. It divides into three branches: the ophthalmic nerve, maxillary nerve, and mandibular nerve, each innervating different regions. These sensations include touch, pain, and temperature, enabling us to perceive various stimuli on the face.
The trigeminal nerve also innervates the masticatory muscles, including the temporalis muscle and the medial and lateral pterygoid muscles, which are responsible for chewing movements and mouth opening and closing functions. Through the control of the trigeminal nerve, we can perform normal chewing and oral activities, thereby ingesting food and initiating preliminary mechanical and chemical digestion. Additionally, the trigeminal nerve participates in the transmission of the corneal reflex. When the cornea is stimulated, such as by touch or wind, the trigeminal nerve transmits this stimulus to the cerebral cortex, triggering a blinking reflex that protects the cornea from injury.
When the trigeminal nerve is damaged, it may cause a series of symptoms, including abnormal facial sensation, difficulty chewing, loss of the corneal reflex, and dysfunction of vascular constriction and dilation.
