Usefulness of low-cost infrared goggles for the assessment of spontaneous nystagmus.

Abstract

Introduction: Due to its precision and simplicity, videonystagmography is the most used technique for evaluating eye movements in patients with vestibular complaints. However, its high cost limits its widespread use. In response, the development of low-cost goggles emerged as an alternative to traditional videonystagmography equipment.

Objetives: This study aimed to compare the performance between low-cost goggles and videonystagmography in assessing spontaneous nystagmus.

Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study at the Otorhinolaryngology Service of Red UC Christus. Patients referred for vestibular evaluation were assessed using both videonystagmography and a prototype of low-cost goggles. Two blinded clinicians with varying levels of expertise reviewed recordings from both tests to identify spontaneous nystagmus.

Results: Of 104 participants, 56.7% exhibited spontaneous nystagmus detected by videonystagmography. The low-cost goggles demonstrated a concordance of κ=0.60 for nystagmus detection and κ=0.47 for classification when used by the less experienced clinician. The more experienced clinician achieved a concordance of κ=0.82 for detection and κ=0.73 for classification.

Conclusion: While clinical assessments can be conducted without specialized equipment, videonystagmography offers a comprehensive and detailed evaluation, making it the preferred and widely utilized method. Nevertheless, low-cost goggles enable the detection of spontaneous nystagmus, demonstrating satisfactory agreement with videonystagmography.