Head impulse (thrust)Peripheral · treat

Head impulse - covert saccade

An abnormal impulse hidden inside the head thrust.

Head impulse (thrust)Live

The catch-up saccade lands while the head is still moving, masked in the blur of the thrust rather than clearly after it. It is easy to miss with the naked eye and is why the video head-impulse test was developed to time it. It is still an ABNORMAL, peripheral result - a 'normal-looking' impulse deserves a second look before you trust it.

Source: MacDougall & Curthoys (video-HIT); Halmagyi & Curthoys 1988.

Stylised teaching animations authored by NeuroDash. Not real-patient recordings, not board-certified, and not reviewed by an outside specialist. Educational only — not medical advice or a diagnosis.