accessory nerve
noun
Meaning
The eleventh cranial nerve that provides motor control to the sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles in the neck and shoulders.
Examples
- Damage to the accessory nerve can result in difficulty rotating the head or shrugging the shoulders.
- During the neurological examination, the physician carefully evaluated the integrity of the accessory nerve.
Synonyms: eleventh cranial nerve, cranial nerve XI