Which cranial nerve is used to turn the head and shrug the shoulders against resistance?

• A. Olfactory
• B. Optic
• C. Spinal Accessory
• D. Hypoglossal

Answer: (C)

The ability to turn the head and shrug the shoulders against resistance comes from the motor control of two muscles: the sternocleidomastoid and the trapezius. These muscles are innervated by the spinal accessory nerve, which provides the motor commands needed to rotate the head and elevate the shoulders when you apply resistance.

The other nerves listed don’t control these actions: the olfactory nerve handles smell, the optic nerve handles vision, and the hypoglossal nerve controls tongue movements.