Occipital muscle

Occipital muscle
origin
Linea nuchalis suprema
approach
Galea aponeurotica
function
Smoothing the forehead
Innervation
Posterior auricular nerve of the facial nerve ( cranial nerve  VII)

The occipital muscle ( Latin for "occipital muscle ") forms the occipitofrontalis muscle together with the frontalis muscle , whereby the two bellies of the muscles are connected via the galea aponeurotica - a tendon plate. The muscle belongs to the scalp muscles .

The function of the M. occipitalis is to smooth the wrinkled forehead, whereby the wrinkling of the forehead on the anterior belly of the M. occipitofrontalis, i.e. the muscle frontalis, is eliminated. However, the paralysis of the occipital muscle has no noticeable effect on facial expressions.

The occipital muscle is innervated by the occipital branch of the posterior auricular nerve, a branch of the seventh  cranial nerve , from which all mimic muscles are innervated.