Oscillopsia
Oscillopsia usually occurs as a result of conditions that affect eye movement or alter how parts of the eye, inner ear, and brain stabilize images and maintain balance.
It often links to types of nystagmus, which is a condition that causes abnormal or involuntary eye movement.
Conditions that affect areas of the brain — especially the cerebellum or parts of the ocular motor system — are another common cause of oscillopsia.
The ocular motor system is a series of biological processes that keep images stable when the head or eyes are moving. Ocular motor system damage tends to impair vision and make it seem as though the world is always in motion, particular when a person is changing the position of their head or moving.
Some of the most common conditions that experts have associated with oscillopsia include:
- neurological conditions, such as seizures, multiple sclerosis, and superior oblique myokymia
- brain or head injuries, especially bilateral vestibular cerebellar injuries
- conditions, such as stroke, that affect the eye muscles or muscles around the eyes
- conditions that affect or damage the inner ear, including Meniere’s disease
- conditions that cause brain inflammation, such as tumors or meningitis
Some people are born with conditions that cause oscillopsia, but most people develop it later in life.
Oscillopsia typically develops as a symptom of an underlying condition. Currently, there is no specific or approved way to treat oscillopsia as a condition in itself. The type of treatment, therefore, depends on the underlying cause.
Nystagmus is a condition of involuntary eye movement. If the cause of oscillopsia is nystagmus, treatment options include:
- special glasses or contact lenses that help clear the vision, which may slow eye movements (usually in congenital cases)
- medication or surgery to treat conditions that cause nystagmus
- stopping drug or alcohol use, if applicable
- in rare cases, surgery to reposition the muscles that control the eyes to allow for a more comfortable head position that limits eye movement.