Question #537
The superior laryngeal nerve
The superior laryngeal nerve is a branch of the vagus nerve. It leaves the vagus nerve and passes posterior to the superior thyroid artery before dividing into an external and internal branch.
The external branch supplies the cricothryoid muscle. Since this muscle alters the pitch of the voice damage will result in a change in pitch.
The internal branch pierces the thyrohyoid membrane and provides general sensation to the larynx above the vocal cords – this includes the epiglottis.
Since the superior laryngeal nerve is primarily sensory it has cell bodies outside the brainstem located in the inferior ganglion of the vagus, also known as the ganglion nodosum.