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