(DRG) Departments of Neurology, Ophthalmology, Neurosurgery, Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, Emergency Medicine, and Medicine, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
Subject
Saccadic intrusions; Square wave jerks
Description
Of the hereditary ataxias, Friedreich's tends to affect younger patients, and prominent saccadic intrusions (even ocular flutter in some cases) is a somewhat distinctive feature. However, other more typical cerebellar ocular motor abnormalities are also common, such as gaze-evoked nystagmus, saccadic dysmetria and smooth pursuit. Seen here are frequent square wave jerks (SWJ), with some larger amplitude saccadic intrusions that are more reminiscent of macro-SWJ.
