Oculomotor Nerve

The Oculomotor Nerve is the third of the twelve paired cranial nerves. According to the American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary it is "the nerve originating in the midbrain below the cerebral aqueduct, supplying all the extrinsic muscles of the eye except the lateral rectus and the superior oblique muscles, and supplying the elevator muscle of the upper eyelid, the ciliary muscle, and the sphincter muscle of the pupil". It controls movement of the eye including constriction of the pupil. It also keeps the eyelid open.

Drinking large quantities of alcohol for extended periods of time can cause serious and persistent changes to the brain. For alcoholics with a deficiency in thiamine there is an increased chance of developing a serious brain disorder called Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Drinkers who develop this condition may suffer from encephalopathy in the short run and a debilitating condition known as Korsakoff's psychosis in the long-run. For these drinkers the symptoms of the short run condition may include mental confusion as well as Oculomotor Nerve paralysis.