Trigeminal course of sensory fibers derived from extrinsic eye muscles in the cat
Buisseret-Delmas, C.
Archives Italiennes de Biologie 114(4): 341-356
1976
ISSN/ISBN: 0003-9829 PMID: 1020979 Document Number: 105874
The ophthalmic branch of the 5th cranial nerve was sectioned before its entry into the trigeminal (Gasserian) ganglion, to study at the muscular level the presence of degenerated sensory fibers in the distal portion of the branches of the 3rd cranial nerve. The 3rd, 4th and 6th cranial nerves were sectioned at the brain trunk to study the persistence of normal fibers in the distal segments of these nerves. Simultaneous section of the 3rd or 4th nerves and of the ophthalmic branch of the 5th nerve was performed to compare the previously obtained data. The sensory fibers contained in the distal part of the oculomotor nerves subsequently join the ophthalmic branch of the 5th (trigeminal) nerve and are therefore trigeminal. Their number does not exceed 10% of the fibers of the 3rd and 4th and 6% of the 6th cranial nerves. Judging by their diameter these trigeminal nerves belong principally to group II and to a smaller extent to group I. Fine myelinated fibers that belong neither to the trigeminal contingent nor to the motor contingent are also present in the 3rd and 4th cranial nerves but seem to be lacking in the 6th.