aetiology of jerk nystagmus
Last reviewed 01/2018
Jerk nystagmus is physiological in the following situations:
- when following a moving object, for example looking out of a train window - this phenomenon is termed optokinetic nystagmus
- during caloric stimulation of the ear
Certain patterns of jerk nystagmus have a limited differential diagnosis:
- vertical nystagmus:
- upbeat vertical nystagmus
- downbeat vertical nystamus
- convergence nystagmus
The causes of other pattern of nystagmus are discussed.