After a cranial nerve exam, a patient’s uvula deviates to the left upon touching the soft palate. What is likely to be affected?

The correct answer reflects the involvement of cranial nerve X (vagus nerve), which is responsible for motor function to the muscles of the soft palate, among other things. When there is a lesion affecting the vagus nerve on one side, the uvula will deviate toward the side that is unaffected. This occurs because the muscles on the unaffected side can still pull the uvula towards themselves, while the affected side lacks adequate muscle tone or strength to keep the uvula in the midline.

In this case, since the uvula deviates to the left, it indicates that the right side's vagus nerve is not functioning properly. This is consistent with the observation that the drop or deviation occurs toward the side that has the stronger muscle tone, which in this context is on the left side. Therefore, a lesion involving cranial nerve X on the right side is the reason for the leftward deviation of the uvula.

Understanding the neurological control of the uvula’s position helps in pinpointing the exact cranial nerve involved, emphasizing the importance of cranial nerve examinations in assessing the status of motor function in the throat and soft palate area.