[Clinical significance of positional nystagmus]

Clinical and otoneurological examinations were carried out during 35 years in 1176 patients with various vestibular disorders. Positional nystagmus (PN) was found in 478 patients (40.4%). Horizontal-rotatory or rotatory PN was reported in the inner ear disorders; bilateral, horizontal, vertical, diagonal and multiple PN occurred only in disturbances of the central nervous system. It was found that PN and spontaneous nystagmus (SN) are the signs of different phases of the same process; the appearance of the PN after SN in the labyrinthine lesions is the symptom of partial compensation of the vestibular function. The examination of the PN is important to widen potentialities of the neuro-otological diagnosis especially in out patient clinic.