Posterior lingual lidocaine: A novel method to improve tolerance in upper gastrointestinal endoscopy

Figure 1 The gag reflex pathway: afferent fibers from the trigger areas in the pharynx and tongue carried by the glossopharyngeal nerve (cranial nerve XI) to the nucleus solitarus which sends the input to the nucleus ambiguus in the medulla oblongata. Efferent fibers from the nucleus ambiguus carried via the vagus nerve (CN X) to the pharyngeal constrictors to contract and cause gagging. CN: Cranial nerve.