ag us ▁n erve , ▁or ▁brain ▁death . ▁ ▁In ▁un il ater al ▁( one - s ided ) ▁gl oss oph ary n ge al ▁n erve ▁( CN ▁IX - ▁sens ory ▁component ) ▁damage , ▁there ▁will ▁be ▁no ▁g ag ▁response ▁when ▁touch ing ▁the ▁ph ary n ge al ▁wall ▁on ▁the ▁same ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁dam aged ▁n erve . ▁With ▁one - s ided ▁v ag al ▁n erve ▁( CN ▁X - ▁motor ▁component ) ▁damage , ▁the ▁soft ▁pal ate ▁will ▁elev ate ▁and ▁pull ▁toward ▁the ▁int act ▁side ▁regardless ▁of ▁the ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁ph ary nx ▁that ▁is ▁touched . ▁This ▁is ▁because ▁the ▁sens ory ▁component ▁is ▁int act ▁on ▁both ▁sides , ▁but ▁only ▁the ▁motor ▁n erves ▁supp lying ▁one ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁soft ▁pal at ine ▁and ▁ph ary n ge al ▁mus cles ▁is ▁working , ▁therefore ▁the ▁contra ction ▁of ▁the ▁mus cles ▁in ▁the ▁ref lex ▁is ▁asym met rical . ▁ ▁If ▁both ▁C N ▁IX ▁and ▁X ▁are ▁dam aged ▁on ▁one ▁side ▁( not ▁un common ), ▁stim ulation ▁of ▁the ▁normal ▁side ▁el ic its ▁only ▁a ▁un il ater al ▁response , ▁with ▁deviation ▁of ▁the ▁soft ▁pal ate ▁to ▁that ▁side ; ▁no ▁cons ens ual ▁response ▁is ▁seen . ▁Touch ing ▁the ▁dam aged ▁side ▁produces ▁no ▁response ▁at ▁all . ▁ ▁At ▁one ▁point , ▁it ▁was ▁thought ▁that ▁a ▁lack ▁of ▁the ▁g