Nystagmus is the condition in which involuntary movement of eyes take place. The movement of eyes is a combination of both slow and fast movements of the eyes. This is a natural condition which arises when problem is posed while tracking a visual pattern.
Sometimes this condition can be an abnormal one in some situations when the person will want the eyes to be still but they will still be in motion. Another condition called Vertigo is also accompanied by nystagmus.
Nystagmus are of different types. Horizontal Nystagmus is spontaneous acquired pendular condition. This condition is caused due to the presence of central leisions located in the central tegmental tract. It is due to the presence of these lesions only that the delay is caused in signal information to brain which results in disorder.
Horizontal Nystagmus:
Horizontal nystagmus is caused due the presence of lesions in the central tegmental tract. It is because of these lesions that the signal takes a longer time to reach the brain. This disorder is noticed generally in the early age of the life. The nystagmus found in children is known as Spasmus nutans. These are often accompanied by a tremor and torticollus.
The various types of horizontal nystagmus disorders are there depending upon the location of the lesion. For instance if the lesion is centrally located it will result in Horizontal Pendular Nystagmus. Incase, it is located somewhere in the corner of the eye it will result in dysmyelinating disorders like Pelizaeus — Merzbacheretc.
Multiple sclerosis is considered as one of the main cause for such disorders. Sometimes individuals who acquire blindness also tend to develop pendular nystagmus and then the condition is known as “nystagmus of the blind”.
