Bedside vestibular examination

Abstract

The vestibular and the ocular motor systems are very important for providing clear vision and good balance control. Accordingly the clinical examination of these two systems is able to suggest the possible reasons for an imbalance disorder, and the location of the dysfunction responsible for that imbalance. Here we will report the features and the pathophysiology of several kind of acquired nystagmus (peripheral, gaze evoked, rebound, down-beat, up-beat, pendular, dissociated nystagmus in internuclear ophthalmoplegia and periodic alternating nystagmus). We will also describe how to perform and to understand two simple clinical tests, the head impulse test and the head shaking test.