Nystagmus is an involuntary rhythmic movement of the eye, referred to as nystagmus.1 Nystagmus can be caused by peripheral lesions of the vestibular system, central lesions, and certain eye diseases.2 Nystagmus can be observed in the direction, frequency, intensity, amplitude, latency, and duration of nystagmus. The direction of nystagmus can be classified as horizontal, vertical, rotational and diagonal.3 The slow phase of nystagmus is a slow movement of the eye in a certain direction caused by vestibular stimulation, while the fast phase is a central correction of the rapid return movement of the eye, with the slow phase toward the side with lower vestibular excitability and the fast phase toward the side with higher vestibular excitability. The direction of the fast phase is usually taken as the direction of nystagmus.4 The intensity of nystagmus can be divided into 3 degrees: I° nystagmus occurs only when gazing to the fast phase side, II° nystagmus occurs when gazing to the fast phase side and forward, and III° nystagmus occurs when gazing forward and in the direction of both the fast and slow phases. The characteristics of vestibular nystagmus are: 1) rhythmic, with the fast phase facing the affected side in the early stage of the disease and turning to the healthy side in the late stage; 2) generally medium-frequency, small amplitude, and intensity of I-II degrees; 3) mostly horizontal and rotational mixed nystagmus, occasionally there may be purely horizontal or rotational nystagmus, but no vertical and diagonal nystagmus; 4) short duration, mostly accompanied by vertigo, tinnitus, and deafness.
Support Us
If the above content has been helpful to you, please click the share button to share the article or website. This is the greatest support for us.
Discussion
Share your experience, or seek help from fellow patients.
