A patient was asked to protrude his tongue and salt was placed on the anterior 2/3rd of the tongue. This procedure is used for testing which nerve?
## **Core Concept**
The question tests knowledge of the innervation of the tongue, specifically the nerve responsible for taste sensation from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue. The **chorda tympani nerve**, a branch of the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII), carries taste fibers from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue.
## **Why the Correct Answer is Right**
The procedure described involves placing salt on the anterior 2/3rd of the tongue to test for taste sensation. The **chorda tympani nerve**, a branch of the **facial nerve (CN VII)**, is responsible for transmitting taste sensations from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue. When the patient protrudes their tongue and salt is placed on the anterior 2/3rd, if the patient can taste the salt, it indicates that the **chorda tympani nerve** and, by extension, the **facial nerve (CN VII)** are functioning properly.
## **Why Each Wrong Option is Incorrect**
- **Option A:** The **glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)** carries taste sensation from the posterior one-third of the tongue, not the anterior two-thirds. Therefore, it is not the correct answer for a test involving the anterior 2/3rd of the tongue.
- **Option B:** The **vagus nerve (CN X)** primarily deals with visceral sensations and motor functions in the throat and larynx, not taste from the tongue. Hence, it is not relevant to this test.
- **Option D:** The **trigeminal nerve (CN V)** provides general sensation (touch, temperature, pain) to the face, including the tongue for non-taste sensations, but it does not carry taste sensation.
## **Clinical Pearl / High-Yield Fact**
A key clinical correlation is the **taste pathway**: The anterior 2/3rds of the tongue's taste sensation is mediated by the **chorda tympani nerve** (branch of **CN VII**), and the posterior 1/3rd by the **glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)**. Remembering this can help in diagnosing nerve lesions.
## **Correct Answer:** . **Facial nerve (CN VII)**