The function of the hypoglossal nerve is to enable your tongue to move.
“Glossal,also from the Greek, mean “tongue.”
Anatomy
As your nerves run through your body, they split off and send branches out everywhere.
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Most of the nerves in your body originate in thespinal cord.
The 12 nerves in your head are different.
They’re calledcranial nervesand they emerge, as symmetrical pairs, from the brain itself.
The two portions of the nerve then join together and leave the skull through the hypoglossal canal.
That’s where it meets up with the cervical plexus.
It eventually comes up to the floor of the mouth and connects with the muscles of your tongue.
The hypoglossal nerve controls two sets of muscles.
Instead, it’s controlled by thepharyngeal plexusof thevagus nerve, which is the 10th cranial nerve.
Nerve damage can result from injury to the back of the head or neck.
Because of its proximity to other cranial nerves, damage to the hypoglossal nerve alone is rare.
Depending on where the injury is, it may affect one or both sides of the nerve pair.
Diagnosis and Treatment
The treatment of hypoglossal nerve dysfunction depends on the cause.
To make a diagnosis, a healthcare provider will consider all of your symptoms and perform a physical exam.
Tests may include:
Once a diagnosis is made, treatment can begin.
Current research focuses on direct nerve repair as well as nerve transfers to correct problems such as facial paralysis.
Surgical techniques are also improving regarding the hypoglossal nerves as well as several other nerves of the face.
Can the hypoglossal nerve repair itself?
In some cases, the hypoglossal nerve can repair itself.
It’s also being researched for children who have bothDown syndromeand obstructive sleep apnea.
Damage to this nerve can affect speech, chewing, and swallowing.
Medical conditions or injury can impair hypoglossal nerve function.
Treatment will depend on what is causing nerve impairment.
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