This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Go to /pro/cpd-dashboard page

This page is worth 0.05 CPD credits. CPD dashboard

Go to /account/subscription-details page

This page is worth 0.05 CPD credits. Upgrade to Pro

Aetiology of jerk nystagmus

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

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.


Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.