Nystagmus is a condition that is characterized by involuntary, repetitive, even jerky movements of the eyes in different directions. It may be congenital or acquired, also physiological but there many different causes that induce pathological nystagmus. Those include various congenital disorders, central nervous system disorders, drugs, alcohol, toxic agents, sleep deprivation, head trauma, or disorders of the vestibular apparatus. There are literally tens or even hundreds of different conditions that might induce nystagmus and the diagnosis is sometimes very hand and requires many specialized diagnostic examinations.
Treatment of nystagmus
A collaboration of different specialists from ophthalmology, neurology, ENT, toxicology, etc. is sometimes required to diagnose the type of nystagmus and a specialized team will then propose the best possible treatment for every single case. That said there are some forms of nystagmus that are much easier to diagnose and treat and some types that are even self-limiting. Many different types of treatment nonetheless exist for more complicated cases and those include specific drugs, specialized optical treatment such as spectacle prisms and optical devices, surgical treatment, and various behavioral interventions.
Is there room for vision therapy?
Nystagmus that presents itself in early childhood can cause all sorts of abnormalities in the development of vision, including amblyopia, convergence insufficiency, or poor binocular vision. In these cases, yes, one can genuinely benefit from vision training approaches such as Amblyoplay.