Many patients with vertigo suffer from oscillopsia, a problem with gaze stability, due to nystagmus, which is involuntary movement of the eyeballs. This blog will explore the connection.
What is Oscillopsia?
Has it ever appeared to you that an object was moving, even though you knew it was stationary? Have you ever seen wavy lines on a bookshelf or window blinds, even though you knew the lines are straight?
That symptom is called oscillopsia. It’s the appearance of movement of objects that we know are stationary. When straight lines appear wavy, that is also called oscillopsia.
The word “symptom” indicates that this describes the experience of the patient as they view the world.
Oscillopsia can occur spontaneously, either persistently or short-lived. The duration depends on the root cause.
It can also occur with certain motions or positions, such as BPPV testing or during normal daily activity. My patients and I call this symptom, “motion-activated oscillopsia.”
What is Nystagmus?
Nystagmus is the involuntary movement of your eyeballs. There are different types of nystagmus, but “jerk nystagmus” is the most common type in people with inner ear vertigo.
Jerk nystagmus has one direction in which the eyeball moves fast or “beats.”
Then the eyeballs move in the opposite direction at a slower speed.
This type of nystagmus is named by the direction of the fast phase or the beat. For example, it might beat up or down, left or right, etc.
This is in contrast to pendular nystagmus, for example. In that case, the eyes move back and forth at the same speed both ways.
Nystagmus is considered a “sign,” which means that someone else can observe it by looking at the patient.
What’s the Link Between Them?
When a clinician or family member observes the presence of nystagmus, then the patient will often complain of vertigo and oscillopsia.
Sometimes, patients with nystagmus don’t experience oscillopsia per se. Instead, they may complain of blurry vision, fogginess, eye strain, headaches, or eye fatigue due to the nystagmus.
But in general, the link between oscillopsia and nystagmus is that they may both occur at the exact same time for patients with dizziness or vertigo.
Oscillopsia describes what the patient feels (symptom) and nystagmus describes what an observer sees (sign).
For more information on vestibular function and dysfunction – and oscillopsia, click here.
Disclaimer
This blog is provided for informational and educational purposes only. The content and any comments by Dr. Kim Bell, DPT are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. The details of any case mentioned in this post represent a typical patient that Dr. Bell might see and do not describe the circumstances of a specific individual.
