videonistagmo

Videonistagmo is a term used in clinical neuro-otology to describe the recording and analysis of nystagmus using video-based eye-tracking systems. The word combines the concept of video capture with nystagmus (nistagmo in several languages) and can refer to both qualitative observation and quantitative measurement of eye movements during vestibular stimulation.

Technique and measurement are typically performed with video-oculography or similar infrared eye-tracking setups. The subject’s eye position is tracked by cameras while calibration aligns gaze directions. Stimuli such as caloric irrigation, passive head movements, or visual-vestibular tasks are applied to evoke nystagmus, which is then recorded in various gaze positions. Data processing converts eye movement traces into quantitative metrics.

Key metrics associated with videonistagmo include slow-phase velocity, amplitude, frequency, direction, and the symmetry of nystagmus responses. Additional analyses may examine phase relationships, gaze-holding accuracy, and the effect of visual fixation. These metrics support characterization of peripheral versus central vestibular function and can track changes over time or after interventions.

Clinical relevance lies in diagnosing and monitoring disorders that produce nystagmus, such as vestibular hypofunction, central oculomotor disorders, or brainstem lesions. While increasingly used in clinics and research, standardization of protocols and normative data vary, and artifact from blinking or head motion can affect results. Videonistagmo thus represents a convergence of traditional ocular motor assessment and modern video-based analysis. See also video-oculography and nystagmus.