Emerging Trends and Management of Congenital Nystagmus

Abstract

Nystagmus is an involuntary, rhythmic oscillation of the eyes that leads to a reduction in visual acuity due to the displacement of the image from the fovea. As per the age of onset, it can be grouped into infantile nystagmus and acquired nystagmus. Infantile nystagmus appears in the first 3–6 months of life and can be either idiopathic or secondary to any pathology causing low vision. Differentiation between infantile nystagmus and acquired form can be made based on nystagmus waveform characteristics. Infantile nystagmus should be worked up for electrophysiological, laboratory tests, neurological evaluation, and imaging to rule out any systemic pathology. Treatment options for nystagmus focus on pharmacological interventions such as gabapentin and memantine and surgical interventions in the presence of head posture to shift the null zone to the primary position.

Keywords

• abnormal head posture
• eye movements
• infantile nystagmus