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Can Nystagmus Be Treated?
Physiologic nystagmus a form of involuntary eye movement that is part of the vestibulo-ocular reflex(VOR). It is characterized by alternating smooth pursuit in one direction and saccadic movement in the other direction.
Nystagmus can be caused by subsequent foveation of moving objects, pathology, sustained rotation or substance abuse.
Educationally, children with nystagmus (who may tend to lose their place in beginning reading instruction) may be helped through the use of a typoscope (card with a rectangular hole, to view one word or line at a time) or an underliner (card or strip of paper to "underline" the line being read). As children with nystagmus mature, they seem to need these support devices less often.
Patients with nystagmus frequently have other vision problems such as astigmatism that require prescription eyeglasses. This is particularly true of patients with albinism and retinopathy of prematurely. Eyeglasses, however, do not cure nystagmus. Prisms may be added to the eyewear to improve the patient’s cosmetic appearance by changing the null position to a slightly more normal position. Prisms may also be used to induce more convergence, turning in of the eyes, which may reduce nystagmus slightly. When bifocals are prescribed, the null position must be considered. Placing a small bifocal in the normal position may not be usable in a patient who must turn his or her eyes far to the left to have the best vision.