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Downbeat Nystagmus/Vertigo Syndrome

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Book cover Vertigo: Its Multisensory Syndromes

Part of the book series: Clinical Medicine and the Nervous System ((CLIN.MED.NERV.))

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Abstract

Downbeat nystagmus in the primary gaze position, or more particularly on lateral gaze, is often accompanied by oscillopsia and postural instability. This is a clearly defined and often permanent association of symptoms, which is almost entirely specific to structural lesions of the paramedian craniocervical junction (Cogan 1968). It involves eye-head coordination in the pitch plane, mediated by pathways from the vertical semicircular canals and the otoliths. This is not a pure oculomotor disorder, but a central vestibular disorder that affects perception and balance. Differential diagnoses include gaze-evoked nystagmus, acquired pendular nystagmus, spasmus nutans and rare vertical forms of congenital nystagmus; in coma, downbeat nystagmus should not be confused with ocular bobbing. Downbeat nystagmus differs from these other conditions in that it is a spontaneous jerk nystagmus which is activated by lateral gaze, and is not suppressed by fixation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Klinikum Grosshadern, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Marchioninistrasse 15, 8000, München 70, Germany

    Thomas Brandt (Professor of Neurology, Director Neurologische Klinik)

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  1. Thomas Brandt
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© 1991 Springer-Verlag London Limited

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Brandt, T. (1991). Downbeat Nystagmus/Vertigo Syndrome. In: Vertigo: Its Multisensory Syndromes. Clinical Medicine and the Nervous System. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-3342-1_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-3342-1_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-3344-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-3342-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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