| Title | Congenital nystagmus mitigates against motion sickness |
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| Authors | Heiko M. Rust, John F. Golding, Anja Palmowski-Wolfe, Flurin Honegger and Michael A. Gresty |
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| Abstract | Introduction: We studied whether people with congenital nystagmus (CN) due to their eye movement abnormalities are less susceptible to develop motion sickness in comparison to standard population norms. Personal observations in three cases suggested that people with congenital nystagmus (CN) seem to be resistant to motion sickness (MS). So far, the only known group with a comparable resistance to MS are people with bilaterally absent peripheral vestibular function. Methods: Participants were recruited for this cross-sectional study from the clinical services as well as searching the archives of the University of Basel Hospital and addressing support groups. They consented to being assessed clinically if possible and completed questionnaires on MS susceptibility. Results: MS scores were lower (p<0.001) for both childhood and adult motion sickness versus standard population norms. Visually induced MS scores were also lower for ‘nausea’ (p<0.01) and marginally lower for ‘headache’ (p=.065). Discussion: Adaptation to visual motion from an early age on and/- or abnormalities in forebrain-brainstem-cerebellar networks might preclude brainstem signal conflicts that typically evoke motion sickness. This finding prompts further research, employing animal models, on the interactions of slow phase vestibulo-visual eye movements and their role in MS susceptibility. MS susceptibility is absent or low in participants with CN. |
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| Keywords | Motion sickness, Visually induced motion sickness, Congenital nystagmus, Infantile nystagmus syndrome, Eye movements, Headache, Migraine |
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| Journal | Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry |
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| Journal citation | 97, pp. 843-844 |
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| ISSN | 1468-330X |
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| 0022-3050 |
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| Year | 2026 |
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| Publisher | BMJ |
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| Accepted author manuscript | |
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| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp-2025-337682 |
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| Web address (URL) | https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp-2025-337682 |
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| Publication dates |
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| Published | 27 Feb 2026 |
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| Published | 27 Feb 2026 |
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