Neuroanatomy, Trigeminal Nucleus

The trigeminal nerve (cranial nerve V; CN V) is a mixed sensory and motor nerve. It supplies the face via three branches of the nerve: from rostral to caudal, the sensory ophthalmic nerve (V1), the sensory maxillary nerve (V2), and the mixed sensory and motor mandibular nerve (V3). The sensory nerves and motor nerves have similar though opposite pathways. Whereas the sensory, or afferent, neurons bring information to the brainstem, the motor, or efferent, neurons project information from the brainstem to the muscles—additionally, the motor fibers course, specifically with the mandibular nerve. The trigeminal nerve is responsible for the transmission of general somatic afferents from the face i.e., pain, temperature, vibration, fine and crude touch and proprioception, as well as transmitting motor information to the muscles of mastication including temporalis, the pterygoids, masseter and some smaller muscles— tensor veli palatini, tensor palatini, anterior belly of the digastric and mylohyoid.