During a clinical assessment of a 68-year-old client who has suffered a head injury, a neurologist suspects that a client has a sustained damage to her vagus (CN X) nerve. Which of the following assessment findings is most likely to lead the physician to this conclusion?
A) The client has difficulty swallowing and has had recent constipation and hypoactive bowel sounds.
B) The client is unable to turn her head from side to side, and her tongue is flaccid.
C) The client has a unilateral facial droop, dry eyes, and decreased salivary production.
D) The client is unable to perform any fine motor movements of her tongue.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Dysphagia and impaired GI motility are associated with damage to the vagus nerve. Lateral movement of the head is mediated by CN XI. Facial droop and dry eyes are associated with CN VII, the facial nerve, while abnormal tongue movement is a result of damage to CN XII, the hypoglossal nerve.

During a Clinical Assessment of a 68-Year-Old Client Who Has