Your patient recently had a viral infection and now she cannot move the muscles on the right side of her face. In addition, she is experiencing a loss of taste and dry mouth and she cannot close her right eye. Which cranial nerves have been affected by the viral infection?
Answer: Facial nerve (VII)
Symptoms show the patient has Bell’s palsy
The facial nerve provides motor innervation of facial muscles that are responsible for facial expression, parasympathetic innervation of the glands of the oral cavity and the lacrimal gland, and sensory innervation of the anterior two-thirds of the tongue. The paralysis in this nerve makes the facial muscles on one side of the face unresponsive causing sagging of the muscle nerves physically appearing as total drooping of the face.