The Effect of Eye-Closure Upon Nystagmus

Abstract

Influence of closure of eye and mental arithmetic on nystagmus was studied. Influences on nystagmus during horizontal pendular rotation (Amp. 45d` Period 5) : in cases of the normal and central lesion. Nystagmus is inhibited by closure of eye and this inhibition is removed by mental arithmetic.

Closure of eye makes caloric nystagmus larger in the normal persons and the patients with the peripheral lesion, and smaller in the patients with the central lesion.

Spontaneous or positional nystagmus is inhibited by closure of eye in cases with central lesion such as brain tumor, but not in cases with the peripheral lesion such as MBniGre's disease.

Nystagmus inhibited by closure of eye becomes apparent by mental arithmetic.The data may be useful to identify the lesion whether it is central or peripheral.