accessory nerve

American  

noun

Anatomy.

1. either one of the eleventh pair of cranial nerves, consisting of motor fibers from the spinal cord that innervate the pharyngeal, trapezius, and sternocleidomastoid muscles, and motor fibers from the brain that join the vagus to innervate the thoracic and abdominal viscera.

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accessory nerve British  

noun

1. either one of the eleventh pair of cranial nerves, which supply the muscles of the head, shoulders, larynx, and pharynx and the viscera of the abdomen and thorax

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Etymology

Origin of accessory nerve

First recorded in 1835–45

Example Sentences

Deficits associated with the accessory nerve may have an effect on orienting the head, as described with the VOR.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Calling the nerve the spinal accessory nerve suggests that it is aiding the spinal nerves.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Figure 16.11 Muscles Controlled by the Accessory Nerve The accessory nerve innervates the sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles, both of which attach to the head and to the trunk and shoulders.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Movement of the head and neck using the sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles is controlled by the accessory nerve.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

The facial may be grafted on the accessory nerve, but the associated movements of the face which then accompany movements of the shoulder often prove inconvenient.

From Manual of Surgery Volume Second: Extremities—Head—Neck. Sixth Edition. by Miles, Alexander