Eye movement disorders: practice question

A Ophthalmology question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Ophthalmology · Eye movement disorders

Sample item

A patient has involuntary to-and-fro eye movements with a slow drift in one direction followed by a quick corrective jerk back. Which term describes this?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. Nystagmus

Nystagmus is a rhythmic oscillation of the eyes usually having a slow pathological drift and a fast corrective phase, and the direction is named after the fast phase. Opsoclonus is chaotic multidirectional saccades without an intersaccadic interval.

Option by option

  • A. Nystagmus (correct)

    Correct. A slow drift followed by a fast corrective movement defines jerk nystagmus.

  • B. Opsoclonus

    Opsoclonus is irregular, multidirectional conjugate saccades.

  • C. Square-wave jerks

    Square-wave jerks are small saccades that take the eye off and quickly back to fixation.

  • D. Ocular flutter

    Ocular flutter is back-to-back horizontal saccades with no slow phase.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More Ophthalmology questions

Questions about this Ophthalmology question

What is the answer to this Ophthalmology question?

The best answer is A, Nystagmus. Nystagmus is a rhythmic oscillation of the eyes usually having a slow pathological drift and a fast corrective phase, and the direction is named after the fast phase.

Why is "Opsoclonus" not the answer?

Opsoclonus is irregular, multidirectional conjugate saccades.

Why is "Square-wave jerks" not the answer?

Square-wave jerks are small saccades that take the eye off and quickly back to fixation.

Why is "Ocular flutter" not the answer?

Ocular flutter is back-to-back horizontal saccades with no slow phase.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Eye movement disorders in Ophthalmology. Opsoclonus is chaotic multidirectional saccades without an intersaccadic interval.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Eye movement disorders?

Group the red eye by what to examine and what the pupil does. Then use the flashcards and the other Ophthalmology questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.