Superior salivary nucleus

Brain: Superior salivary nucleus
Plan of the facial and intermediate nerves and their communication with other nerves. (Nucleus salivatorius visible at upper left.)
Latin	nucleus salivatorius superior
Gray's	subject #191 861
NeuroNames	hier-585
MeSH	n_11

The Superior salivary nucleus (or superior salivatory nucleus) of the facial nerve is a visceromotor cranial nerve nucleus located in the pontine tegmentum.

Parasympathetic efferent fibers of the facial nerve (preganglionic fibers) arise according to some authors from the small cells of the facial nucleus, or according to others from a special nucleus of cells scattered in the reticular formation, dorso-medial to the facial nucleus. This is sometimes called the superior salivatory nucleus.

These preganglionic fibers are distributed partly via the chorda tympani and lingual nerves to the submandibular ganglion, thence by postganglionic (vasodilator) fibers to the submandibular gland and sublingual gland.

Some of the preganglionic fibers pass to the sphenopalatine ganglion via the greater petrosal nerve.

The term "lacrimal nucleus" is sometimes used to refer to a portion of the superior salivary nucleus.

See also

• Inferior salivary nucleus
• Facial nerve
• Cranial nerves

Additional images

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  The cranial nerve nuclei schematically represented; dorsal view. Motor nuclei in red; sensory in blue.

• 

  Nuclei of origin of cranial motor nerves schematically represented; lateral view.

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  Primary terminal nuclei of the afferent (sensory) cranial nerves schematically represented; lateral view.

External links

• Brainstem at UWisc 15Salivatory
• Diagram (look for #3)
• Diagram
• Cluster Headache Pathogenesis

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.