Nystagmus: A simplified approach

Dr Carmen Chan
MRCP, FRCSEd(Ophth), FHKAM (Ophthalmology)
Associate Consultant and Coordinator of the Neuro-ophthalmology Service, HK Eye Hospital
Honorary Clinical Assistant Professor, Dept of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Nystagmus is generally considered to be a difficult subject. In this talk, I shall present a simplified clinical approach to a patient with nystagmus, with plenty of videos to demonstrate the different types of nystagmus and other ocular oscillations. The emphasis is on how to determine which patients need further investigations (neurologic or otherwise); in particular, how to distinguish patients with physiologic vs. pathologic nystagmus; congenital vs. acquired nystagmus; and peripheral vestibular vs. central vestibular nystagmus. There will also be a brief section on the treatment of nystagmus, including pharmacological and non-pharmacological means.