Giorgio Lambru - Neuromodulation in Headache and Facial Pain Management: Principles, Rationale and Clinical Data

The trigeminal nerve (Vn) is the largest cranial nerve and it supplies sensory fibres to all craniofacial structures. Sensory innervation of the craniofacial region is important in functional, psychological and emotional aspects, given the significance of the head as an organ in whole, of facial communication and of all specialised sense organs of the head such as the retina, olfactory epithelium, taste papillae, tooth pulp and cochlea, which are highly innervated by trigeminal fibres [].

The trigeminal ganglion (TG) is the sensory ganglion of the trigeminal nerve and occupies the Meckels cavity (cavum Meckelii) in the dura mater covering the trigeminal impression near the apex of the petrous part of the temporal bone [].

The TG gives rise to the trigeminal nerve (Vth cranial nerve), which is the largest of the cranial nerves. The trigeminal nerve trifurcates into ophthalmic (V1), maxillary (V2) and mandibular nerves (V3) distally from the trigeminal ganglion. The divisions of the trigeminal nerve exit the skull base through the superior orbital fissure for V1, through the foramen rotundum for V2, and through the foramen ovale for V3 []. Motor fibres are distributed together with sensory fibres in branches of the mandibular nerve and supply the muscles of mastication and the tensor tympani and tensor veli palatine muscles.