Other patterns of nystagmus

As a general rule:

• peripheral lesions e.g. vestibular damage cause nystagmus away from the side of the lesion
• a central lesion e.g. unilateral cerebellar damage causes nystagmus towards the side of the lesion

Brainstem lesions may cause:

• gaze-dependent horizontal nystagmus
• gaze-dependent vertical jerk nystagmus

Cerebellar disease causes:

• gaze-dependent horizontal nystagmus
• downbeat nystagmus
• related eye movement disorders:
  • opsoclonus
  • ocular flutter
  • ocular dysmetria

Labyrinthine-vestibular lesions cause:

• horizontal nystagmus
• vertical nystagmus
• oblique nystagmus
• torsional nystagmus is common in labyrintine disease
• tinnitus, deafness, vertigo and nausea may be present