Quick Facts
Origin: Superior ganglion of vagus nerve.
Course: Runs from the superior ganglion back through the jugular foramen to become intracranial, where it spreads throughout the dura of the posterior cranial fossa.
Branches: None.
Supply: General somatic sensation from the dura of the posterior cranial fossa.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
The meningeal branch is first seen splitting from the vagus nerve at the superior ganglion.
Course
From the superior ganglion, the meningeal branch backtracks along the vagus nerve, heading through the jugular ganglion back into the cranium. Once in the cranium, the meningeal branch spreads out to innervate the dura of the posterior cranial fossa.
Branches
There are no named branches.
Supplied Structures
The meningeal branch of the vagus nerve is a sensory nerve. Its fibers convey general somatic sensation from the dura of the posterior cranial fossa back to the spinal nucleus of the trigeminal nerve in the brainstem.
List of Clinical Correlates
—Headache
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Vagus Nerve
The vagus nerve (10th cranial nerve) is a bilateral nerve bundle that is composed of axons of both efferent and afferent neurons.
