Point 10 Intro Pathway Deficit Overview Problems Contents Anatomy

For our problem solving exercises you need to remember that the inferior salivatory nucleus lies medial to nucleus ambiguus in the medulla. Remember, the inferior salivatory nucleus is the visceromotor component of C.N. IX. Cells within this nucleus possess preganglionic parasympathetic axons that pass out of the brain stem just dorsal and lateral to the inferior olive and eventually synapse in the otic ganglion. A lesion involving the inferior salivatory nucleus will result in a loss of SALIVATION from the ipsilateral parotid gland. ANYTIME IN THE PROBLEM SETS THAT THE LESION INVOLVES NUCLEUS AMBIGUUS AND THE AREA OF THE MEDULLA MEDIAL TO THE NUCLEUS AMBIGUUS, YOU MUST ASSUME THAT BOTH NUCLEUS AMBIGUUS AND THE INFERIOR SALIVATORY NUCLEUS ARE INVOLVED. Keep in mind that a lesion of the inferior salivatory nucleus does not result in a complete loss of salivation because the opposite inf. sal. nuc. is OK and C.N. VII is OK. C.N. VII (via the Superior Salivatory Nucleus; to be discussed later) is involved in innervating the submandibular ganglion. Postganglionic neurons in this ganglion innervate the submandibular and sublingual glands.