Dr. Orwa Nasser MD MPH - Diagnosis of nystagmus

Diagnosis of nystagmus

As mentioned earlier, nystagmus is a condition in which the eye moves involuntarily and without control. Nystagmus appears in both eyes and can vary in frequency and extent depending on the cause of the phenomenon. Nystagmus is usually accompanied by poor vision and quality. 
It is important to remember that nystagmus is caused by a disease or condition in the eye and appears as a twitching of the eye as a secondary result of a primary injury to the eye or brain. This injury causes poor vision, lack of coordination between the eyes, and as a result of involuntary and continuous eye twitching.
 

What are the medical tests that should be done for nystagmus?
As mentioned, the causes that can cause nystagmus are many. It can be due to diseases of the eye or the brain. The necessary tests are:

• A complete eye examination including dilatation of the pupil and vision examination
• Corneal topography / tomography scan
• MACULAR OCT
• RNFL OCT
• Field of vision
• ERG
• VEP
• MRI / CT as needed
• Genetic tests
   

How do diagnostic tests for nystagmus help?
There are two main goals of diagnostic tests for nystagmus. The first is to accurately diagnose the type and severity of nystagmus. The second is to match the optimal treatment to the type of nystagmus.
In the above tests, the presence of damage to the retina or optic nerve, refractive errors (glasses numbers), retinal function, optic nerve function can be assessed, and of course the cause of the nystagmus can be diagnosed through a genetic test. After receiving the complete picture, the treatment can be individually adjusted, whether it is nystagmus surgery, laser, lenses, glasses, or neurofeedback therapy.