Nystagmus: physiology and causes
Written and reviewed by Dr Ibrahim Imam, Consultant Neurologist. Last reviewed .
Nystagmus: physiology and causes. Nystagmus describes repetitive involuntary eye movements. Fully referenced neurology checklist.
Definition
- Nystagmus describes repetitive involuntary eye movements
- They start with slow drifts of the eye away from the target
- In pendular nystagmus, the to and fro movements are sinusoidal
- In jerk nystagmus the corrective saccadic movement is fast
Mechanisms that prevent nystagmus
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Physiological causes
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Visual pathway causes
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Neurological causes
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Drug-induced causes
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Differential diagnosis
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References
- Serra A, Leigh RJ. Diagnostic value of nystagmus: spontaneous and induced ocular oscillations. JNNP 2002; 73:615–618.
- Abadi RV. Mechanisms underlying nystagmus. J R Soc Med 2002; 95:231–234.
- Stahl JS, Plant GT, Leigh RJ. Medical treatment of nystagmus and its visual consequences. J R Soc Med 2002; 95:235-237.
- Balani A, Kumar AD, Marda SS, Alwala S. Nondecussating retinal-fugal fiber syndrome: Clinical and neuroimaging clues to diagnosis. Indian J Ophthalmol 2015; 63:858-861.
