Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAnatomyFunctionAssociated ConditionsManagement
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Anatomy
Function
Associated Conditions
Management
The glossopharyngeal nerve, which is also called the ninth cranial nerve, has both sensory (sensation) functions and motor (movement) functions in the body, as well as specialized sensory function and parasympathetic function.
The glossopharyngeal nerve is involved in taste, salivation, swallowing, and speech. It also provides nerve supply to the tonsils and middle ear and regulates blood flow to the brain.
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The12 cranial nervesexist in symmetric pairs that emerge from the brain itself, as opposed to the rest of your nerves, which branch off from thespinal cord.
As most of the cranial nerves do, the glossopharyngeal nerve emerges from the front of the brainstem, which sits low at the back of your brain and connects the brain to the spinal cord.
Structure and Location
The glossopharyngeal nerve exits the cranial cavity (skull) through a structure called the jugular foramen, which is a large opening in the base of the skull. It then gives off a branch called thetympanic nerve, which goes through thetemporal boneto reach the middle ear.
From the ear, the lesser petrosal nerve branches off and continues to the otic ganglion (a collection of nerve cells in the ear.) The lesser petrosal nerve then runs along the auriculotemporal nerve to theparotid gland, which is a salivary gland in the cheek.
Meanwhile, the main glossopharyngeal nerve travels downward between theinternal carotid arteryand the internal jugular vein and then curves forward to form an arch on the side of your neck on top of the stylopharyngeus muscle, (branching thestylopharyngeal nerveto ennervate it) and the middle pharyngeal constrictor muscles high in the throat. At that point, the glossopharyngeal nerve sends off thecarotid sinus nerve, which then runs downward in the neck to the carotid artery.
Next, it runs under the hyoglossus muscle, which comes up the side of the neck and connects to the tongue. It then gives off its three terminal branches:
Anatomical Variations
Many nerves have anatomical variations that doctors, especially surgeons, need to be familiar with so they don’t inadvertently injure them during procedures. Knowing about them can also help diagnose problems with nerve function.
In most people, the glossopharyngeal nerve curves around the front of the stylopharyngeus muscle, but in some cases, it penetrates this muscle instead.
Some research has shown that a small percentage of people have abnormal connections between the glossopharyngeal andvagus nerveswhere they travel close together inside the skull. That’s especially important during surgery in that area to keep the nerve fibers from being cut.
The glossopharyngeal nerve serves a variety of functions in the head and neck through different types of nerve fibers and its various branches.
Sensory Function
The glossopharyngeal nerve plays a sensory role in numerous important structures. In the middle ear, via its tympanic branch, it becomes part of the tympanic plexus. That’s a network of nerves that provides sensory function to the middle ear, the eustachian tube, and the internal surface of the tympanic membrane (your eardrum).
The carotid sinus nerve, which connects to the carotid artery, provides information to your brain about blood pressure and oxygen saturation.
The pharyngeal branch provides sensation to the mucous membranes in the opening to the throat between the soft palate and epiglottis.
The tonsillar branch supplies sensation to the tonsils.
Specialized Sensory Function
The lingual branch performs the specialized task of transmitting taste information to your brain. It connects with the taste buds on the rear third of your tongue and down into the throat, and it also provides that area with general sensory information about things like touch, temperature, and pain.
Thechorda tympani nerve, which is a branch of thefacial nerve(the seventh cranial nerve), innervates the forward two-thirds of the tongue. The lingual branch and chorda tympani provide what’s called inhibition to each other’s signals, meaning that they dampen the signals that are sent to the brain. Experts think this might happen in order to allow the brain to tell the difference between a wider variety of tastes.
Damage to one of these nerves takes away that inhibiting effect and can lead to an increase in your perception of particular tastes as well as an increase in tongue-related pain.
Motor Function
The glossopharyngeal nerve provides motor function to the stylopharyngeus muscle. Located in the pharynx, which is the portion of your throat behind the nose and mouth, this muscle is involved in swallowing. It shortens and widens the pharynx and lifts the larynx (commonly called the voice box) when you swallow.
How Swallowing Works
Parasympathetic Function
The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems are part of theautonomic nervous system. They work to counterbalance each other. The “fight-or-flight” response to danger or stress comes from sympathetic activity. Parasympathetic activity deals with what’s often called “rest-and-digest” functions—in other words, the normal activity that your body engages in when you’re not in a situation that requires an intense physical reaction.
The lesser petrosal nerve of the glossopharyngeal nerve, which connects to the parotid gland, contains parasympathetic fibers and stimulates the release of saliva, which is called a secretomotor function. This is part of the parasympathetic nervous system because saliva is involved in the digestive process.
Common surgical and medical-procedure causes of glossopharyngeal damage include:
Among the more serious consequences of glossopharyngeal dysfunction are:
Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia
Some people with glossopharyngeal neuralgia may also have vagus nerve involvement, which leads to symptoms including:
Treatment of glossopharyngeal dysfunction depends mainly on the cause of the problem. In some cases, damage to the nerve may heal on its own over time.
The cause of glossopharyngeal neuralgia is often never determined. In those cases, the goal of treatment is to manage symptoms. Standard neuralgia treatments include antidepressants and anticonvulsants.Sometimes, surgery may be needed.
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Anatomy Next.Glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX).TeachMeAnatomy.com.The glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX).Thomas K, DasNeuroanatomy JM.Cranial nerve 9 (Glossopharyngeal). StatPearls Publishing.Snyder DJ, Bartoshuk LM.Oral sensory nerve damage: Causes and consequences.Rev Endocr Metab Disord. 2016 Jun;17(2):149-58. doi:10.1007/s11154-016-9377-9.MedlinePlus.Glossopharyngeal neuralgia.
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Anatomy Next.Glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX).TeachMeAnatomy.com.The glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX).Thomas K, DasNeuroanatomy JM.Cranial nerve 9 (Glossopharyngeal). StatPearls Publishing.Snyder DJ, Bartoshuk LM.Oral sensory nerve damage: Causes and consequences.Rev Endocr Metab Disord. 2016 Jun;17(2):149-58. doi:10.1007/s11154-016-9377-9.MedlinePlus.Glossopharyngeal neuralgia.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Anatomy Next.Glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX).TeachMeAnatomy.com.The glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX).Thomas K, DasNeuroanatomy JM.Cranial nerve 9 (Glossopharyngeal). StatPearls Publishing.Snyder DJ, Bartoshuk LM.Oral sensory nerve damage: Causes and consequences.Rev Endocr Metab Disord. 2016 Jun;17(2):149-58. doi:10.1007/s11154-016-9377-9.MedlinePlus.Glossopharyngeal neuralgia.
Anatomy Next.Glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX).
TeachMeAnatomy.com.The glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX).
Thomas K, DasNeuroanatomy JM.Cranial nerve 9 (Glossopharyngeal). StatPearls Publishing.
Snyder DJ, Bartoshuk LM.Oral sensory nerve damage: Causes and consequences.Rev Endocr Metab Disord. 2016 Jun;17(2):149-58. doi:10.1007/s11154-016-9377-9.
MedlinePlus.Glossopharyngeal neuralgia.
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