Question

"Patient: 57-year-old woman

Chief complaint: ""My tongue really hurts. Especially in front, at the tip. It gets worse as the day goes on and when I eat it's really bad. The roof of my mouth also hurts. Also I can't taste it as well. I move my food to the back of my mouth so I can taste it. Sometimes I can't sleep at night because of it.""
Background/Patient history: Patient reports burning sensation on tongues for past several months. No history of injury.
Current findings: Unremarkable. You suspect burning mouth syndrome and recommend further tests.

Which nerve is involved in the patient's loss of taste
a. CN VII
b. CN V3 (lingual)
c. CN X
d. CN IX"

Answer 1

The patient's loss of taste is most likely caused by a dysfunction in the glossopharyngeal nerve, also known as CN IX.

Step-by-step explanation:

The patient's loss of taste is most likely caused by a dysfunction in the glossopharyngeal nerve, also known as CN IX.

The glossopharyngeal nerve is responsible for relaying taste sensations from the posterior two-thirds of the tongue to the brain. It also relays general sensations from the pharyngeal walls and can stimulate the gag reflex.

Further testing of the vagus motor function can help confirm the involvement of CN IX, as the vagus nerve directly stimulates the muscles of the pharynx and larynx to contribute to swallowing and speech functions.