IN-vision

‘Nystagmus’ describes a rhythmic oscillation of the eyes. The word is derived from the Ancient Greek ‘nustagmos’, which describes the drowsy, rhythmic head nodding of a seated individual falling asleep. The ocular oscillations of nystagmus can be a normal physiological response to a stimulus or they can be due to a pathological disorder.

The information presented here is intended as an educational guide for clinicians, patients, parents and all those wishing to learn more about the subject. For a basic introduction to nystagmus, the RNIB provide an excellent description on their website. Support groups exist; click here to visit the UK Nystagmus Network’s website, or here for the American Nystagmus Network, for further links and resources please see Resources.

The content here covers all forms of nystagmus, to provide more of a complete picture and wider perspective of the condition. For specific information use the links provided:

Infantile Nystagmus
Early onset
Pathological nystagmus

We are grateful to Matt J Dunn BSc (Hons) postgraduate researcher and optometrist of Cardiff University, for authoring this section and the Research section of this website, based on original work by David Summers.

Disclaimer: The content of this website is correct to the best of the author’s knowledge at time of writing. It is intended for use as an informational resource only. Do not use any of this information to perform any kind of self-diagnosis or examination. If you have any questions or queries of a medical nature, then please consult your optometrist, GP or ophthalmologist. We are not responsible for the content of external websites.