Superior laryngeal nerve
The superior laryngeal nerve ("upper larynx nerve") - referred to in animals as the cranial laryngeal nerve ("front larynx nerve") - is a branch of the Xth cranial nerve , the vagus nerve . It originates from the inferior ganglion of the vagus and extends to the larynx . Historically it is the actual nerve of the fourth branchial arch .
The external branch ( ramus externus ) of the superior laryngeal nerve innervates a single muscle of the larynx, the cricothyroid muscle . This tenses the vocal folds . The inner branch ( Ramus internus ) of the nerve, however, runs through the thyrohyoid membrane and sensitively innervates the mucous membrane of the larynx above the vocal folds. It also conducts taste fibers from receptors in the epiglottis .
The superior laryngeal nerve carries the sensitive information that is responsible for the reflex closure of the larynx when it comes into contact with liquids and for the cough reflex .
The rare clinical picture of neuralgia of the superior laryngeal nerve leads to repeated pain attacks on the anterior side of the neck. If the superior laryngeal nerve is damaged (e.g. during neck surgery), the cricothyroid muscle is impaired in its function. This reduces the tension on the vocal cords and reduces the pitch range .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Horst Erich König, Hans-Georg Liebich (Ed.): Anatomy of domestic mammals . 4th edition, Schattauer, 2009, ISBN 978-3-7945-2650-5 , p. 381.
- ^ A b Mathias Bähr, Michael Frotscher: Neurological-topical diagnostics. 10th edition, Thieme, 2014, ISBN 978-3-13-535810-9 , p. 219.
- ^ Keith L. Moore, Trivedi VN Persaud, Mark G. Torchia: The Developing Human. 10th edition, Elsevier, 2016, ISBN 978-0-323-31338-4 , p. 161.
- ↑ Hanns Christian Hopf, Detlef Kömpf (Ed.): Diseases of the cranial nerves. Thieme, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 978-3-13-140111-3 , p. 216.
- ↑ Berit Schneider-Stickler, Wolfgang Bigenzahn: Voice diagnostics . 2nd edition, Springer, 2013, ISBN 978-3-7091-1479-7 , p. 208.