Nystagmus findings in healthy subjects without Varigo using infrared CCD imaging

Abstract

In the observation of nystagmus using CCD imaging, some reports have described "spontaneous nystagmus in completely healthy persons." Therefore, we investigated the frequency and the details of nystagmus using a CCD camera in healthy subjects who had no history of vertigo or balance disorders. In the current study, 50 subjects participated and had visited our clinic for reasons not due to vertigo. The subjects were between 20 and 79 years of age, and the series was comprised of 19 male subjects and 31 female subjects. Spontaneous nystagmus was found in 35 of the 50 subjects. Seventy percent of healthy subjects who had no history of vertigo exhibited nystagmus under the CCD camera. No differences were found in the frequency of these tests between males and females, but the more elderly subjects tended to have a higher incidence of a nystagmus. Positional nystagmus tended to occur more frequently than positioning nystagmuses during these tests. It should be noted that the nystagmus found under CCD imaging is not necessarily vertigo or any other disorders.