Following on from the previous article "The Pupillary (Hippus) Nystagmus”, which referred to Hippocratic and Galenic terminology, the article “Historical descriptions of nystagmus and abnormal involuntary eye movements in various ancient cultures” explores the earliest descriptions consistent with involuntary eye movements; examining ancient medical texts that may be consistent with nystagmus, it traces a timeline from the second millennium BC to the ninth century AD, and a geographical scope spanning Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, Greece, Rome, China and the Middle East, The term ‘Hippos’ dates back to Hippocrates, later cited by Galen, and referred to a condition in which the eyes were in a state of constant restlessness.
A review of original medical texts and specialist translations suggests that the recognition and description of involuntary eye movements were widespread across various ancient cultures, indicating a genuine awareness of this neurological symptom. However, caution is advised when attempting to draw parallels between ancient descriptions and contemporary pathological conditions, in the light of current clinical and scientific knowledge. Gerb J, Brandt T, Huppert D. Historical descriptions of nystagmus and abnormal involuntary eye movements in various ancient cultures. Sci Prog. 2023 Jul–Sep;106(3):368504231191986. doi: 10.1177/00368504231191986. PMID: 37642983; PMCID: PMC10469245.
At the other end of the spectrum, the state of the art is moving towards the incorporation of artificial intelligence into medical decision-making and diagnostic processes. This article, “A nystagmus extraction system using artificial intelligence for video-nystagmography”, discusses the development of a device to improve and automate the diagnosis of BPPV using a convolutional neural network applied to the processing and analysis of digital images to extract nystagmus and its patterns, based on videonystagmography and eye-tracking.
This device combines a slip detection algorithm with the ability to remove motion artefacts from the glasses. Despite the reported need for further research and validation using external data, and the fact that the dataset generated and analysed during the study is not publicly available due to data protection concerns, this is just one example of the future of medicine and, specifically, of otoneurology. Lee Y, Lee S, Han J, Seo YJ, Yang S. A nystagmus extraction system using artificial intelligence for video-nystagmography. Sci Rep. 24 July 2023;13(1):11975. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-39104-7. Erratum in: Sci Rep. 5 September 2023;13(1):14616. PMID: 37488184; PMCID: PMC10366077.
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Text by Ana Margarida Simões
