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Kruper J, Richie-Halford A, Benson NC, Caffarra S, Owen J, Wu Y, Egan C, Lee AY, Lee CS, Yeatman JD, Rokem A. Convolutional neural network-based classification of glaucoma using optic radiation tissue properties. COMMUNICATIONS MEDICINE 2024; 4:72. [PMID: 38605245 PMCID: PMC11009254 DOI: 10.1038/s43856-024-00496-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sensory changes due to aging or disease can impact brain tissue. This study aims to investigate the link between glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness, and alterations in brain connections. METHODS We analyzed diffusion MRI measurements of white matter tissue in a large group, consisting of 905 glaucoma patients (aged 49-80) and 5292 healthy individuals (aged 45-80) from the UK Biobank. Confounds due to group differences were mitigated by matching a sub-sample of controls to glaucoma subjects. We compared classification of glaucoma using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) focusing on the optic radiations, which are the primary visual connection to the cortex, against those analyzing non-visual brain connections. As a control, we evaluated the performance of regularized linear regression models. RESULTS We showed that CNNs using information from the optic radiations exhibited higher accuracy in classifying subjects with glaucoma when contrasted with CNNs relying on information from non-visual brain connections. Regularized linear regression models were also tested, and showed significantly weaker classification performance. Additionally, the CNN was unable to generalize to the classification of age-group or of age-related macular degeneration. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate a distinct and potentially non-linear signature of glaucoma in the tissue properties of optic radiations. This study enhances our understanding of how glaucoma affects brain tissue and opens avenues for further research into how diseases that affect sensory input may also affect brain aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Kruper
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- eScience Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Adam Richie-Halford
- Graduate School of Education and Division of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Noah C Benson
- eScience Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sendy Caffarra
- Graduate School of Education and Division of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Julia Owen
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Roger and Angie Karalis Johnson Retina Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Yue Wu
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Roger and Angie Karalis Johnson Retina Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Aaron Y Lee
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Roger and Angie Karalis Johnson Retina Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Cecilia S Lee
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Roger and Angie Karalis Johnson Retina Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jason D Yeatman
- Graduate School of Education and Division of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ariel Rokem
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- eScience Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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Ho K, Bodi NE, Sharma TP. Normal-Tension Glaucoma and Potential Clinical Links to Alzheimer's Disease. J Clin Med 2024; 13:1948. [PMID: 38610712 PMCID: PMC11012506 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13071948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma is a group of optic neuropathies and the world's leading cause of irreversible blindness. Normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) is a subtype of glaucoma that is characterized by a typical pattern of peripheral retinal loss, in which the patient's intraocular pressure (IOP) is considered within the normal range (<21 mmHg). Currently, the only targetable risk factor for glaucoma is lowering IOP, and patients with NTG continue to experience visual field loss after IOP-lowering treatments. This demonstrates the need for a better understanding of the pathogenesis of NTG and underlying mechanisms leading to neurodegeneration. Recent studies have found significant connections between NTG and cerebral manifestations, suggesting NTG as a neurodegenerative disease beyond the eye. Gaining a better understanding of NTG can potentially provide new Alzheimer's Disease diagnostics capabilities. This review identifies the epidemiology, current biomarkers, altered fluid dynamics, and cerebral and ocular manifestations to examine connections and discrepancies between the mechanisms of NTG and Alzheimer's Disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen Ho
- Eugene and Marilyn Glick Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA;
| | - Nicole E. Bodi
- Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA;
| | - Tasneem P. Sharma
- Eugene and Marilyn Glick Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA;
- Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA;
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
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3
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Tang QY, Zhong YL, Wang XM, Huang BL, Qin WG, Huang X. Machine Learning Analysis Classifies Patients with Primary Angle-Closure Glaucoma Using Abnormal Brain White Matter Function. Clin Ophthalmol 2024; 18:659-670. [PMID: 38468914 PMCID: PMC10926922 DOI: 10.2147/opth.s451872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective Primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) is a globally prevalent, irreversible eye disease leading to blindness. Previous neuroimaging studies demonstrated that PACG patients were associated with gray matter function changes. However, whether the white matter(WM) function changes in PACG patients remains unknown. The purpose of the study is to investigate WM function changes in the PACG patients. Methods In total, 40 PACG patients and 40 well-matched HCs participated in our study and underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scans. We compared between-group differences between PACG patients and HC in the WM function using amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF). In addition, the SVM method was applied to the construction of the PACG classification model. Results Compared with the HC group, ALFF was attenuated in right posterior thalamic radiation (include optic radiation), splenium of corpus callosum, and left tapetum in the PACG group, the results are statistically significant (GRF correction, voxel-level P < 0.001, cluster-level P < 0.05). Furthermore, the SVM classification had an accuracy of 80.0% and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.86 for distinguishing patients with PACG from HC. Conclusion The findings of our study uncover abnormal WM functional alterations in PACG patients and mainly involves vision-related regions. These findings provide new insights into widespread brain damage in PACG from an alternative WM functional perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiu-Yu Tang
- College of Clinical Medicine, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang City, Jiangxi, 330004, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yu-Lin Zhong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Jiangxi Provincial People’s Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang Medical College, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330006, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xin-Miao Wang
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Bing-Lin Huang
- College of Clinical Medicine, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang City, Jiangxi, 330004, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wei-Guo Qin
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The 908th Hospital of Chinese People’s Liberation Army Joint Logistic Support Force’, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xin Huang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Jiangxi Provincial People’s Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang Medical College, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330006, People’s Republic of China
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4
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Jing L, Yan T, Zhou J, Xie Y, Qiu J, Wang Y, Lu W. Elevated Intraocular Pressure Moderated Brain Morphometry in High-tension Glaucoma: a Structural MRI Study. Clin Neuroradiol 2024; 34:173-179. [PMID: 37798542 DOI: 10.1007/s00062-023-01351-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
High-tension glaucoma (HTG) is one of the most common forms of primary open angle glaucoma. The purpose of this study was to assess in HTG brain, whether the elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) had an effect on the brain morphological alterations via structural MRI. We acquired T1WI structural MRI images from 56 subjects including 36 HTG patients and 20 healthy controls. We tested whether the brain morphometry was associated with the mean IOP in HTG patients. Moreover, we conducted moderation analysis to assess the interactions between subject type (HTG - healthy controls) and IOP. In HTG group, cortical thickness was negatively correlated with the mean IOP in the left rostral middle frontal gyrus, left pars triangularis, right precentral gyrus, left postcentral gyrus, left superior temporal gyrus (p < 0.05, FDR corrected). Four of the five regions negatively correlated with mean IOP showed reduced cortical thickness in HTG group compared with healthy controls, which were the left rostral middle frontal gyrus, left pars triangularis, left postcentral gyrus and left superior temporal gyrus (p < 0.05, FDR corrected). IOP moderated the interaction between subject type and cortical thickness of the left rostral middle frontal gyrus (p = 0.0017), left pars triangularis (p = 0.0011), left postcentral gyrus (p = 0.0040) and left superior temporal gyrus (p = 0.0066). Elevated IOP may result brain morphometry alterations such as cortical thinning. The relationship between IOP and brain morphometry underlines the importance of the IOP regulation for HTG patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Jing
- Center of Radiation Therapy, Taian Tumor Hospital, Taian, China
| | - Tingqin Yan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Taian City Central Hospital, Taian, China
| | - Jian Zhou
- Department of Radiology, Taian City Central Hospital, Taian, China
| | - Yuanzhong Xie
- Department of Radiology, Taian City Central Hospital, Taian, China
| | - Jianfeng Qiu
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Taian, China
| | - Yi Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Affiliated hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Taian, China.
| | - Weizhao Lu
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Taian, China.
- Department of Radiology, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, China.
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Yang B, Su M, Wang Q, Qu X, Wang H, Chen W, Sun Y, Li T, Wang Y, Wang N, Xian J. Altered stability of dynamic brain functional architecture in primary open-angle glaucoma: a surface-based resting-state fMRI study. Brain Imaging Behav 2024; 18:44-56. [PMID: 37857914 PMCID: PMC10844345 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-023-00800-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Delineating the neuropathological characteristics of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is critical for understanding its pathophysiology. While temporal stability represents a crucial aspect of the brain's functional architecture, the specific patterns underlying its contribution to POAG remain unclear. This study aims to analyze the brain functional abnormalities in POAG using functional stability, a dynamic functional connectivity (DFC) approach based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Seventy patients with POAG and forty-five healthy controls underwent rs-fMRI and ophthalmological examinations. The stability of DFC was calculated as the concordance of DFC over time using a sliding-window approach, and the differences in stability between the two groups were compared. Subsequently, Spearman's correlation analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between functional stability and clinical indicators. Compared with healthy controls, patients with POAG exhibited significantly decreased functional stability in the visual network, including the early visual center, ventral and dorsal stream visual cortex in both hemispheres. Conversely, stability values increased in the bilateral inferior parietal gyrus and right inferior frontal cortex. In POAG patients, the dynamic stability of the left early visual cortex and ventral stream visual cortex correlated with the mean deviation of visual field defects (r = 0.251, p = 0.037). The evidence from this study suggests that functional stability may provide a new understanding of brain alterations in the progression of POAG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingbing Yang
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, No.1 of Dongjiaominxiang Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Mingyue Su
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, No.1 of Dongjiaominxiang Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Qian Wang
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, No.1 of Dongjiaominxiang Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Xiaoxia Qu
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, No.1 of Dongjiaominxiang Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Huaizhou Wang
- Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, No.1 of Dongjiaominxiang Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Weiwei Chen
- Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, No.1 of Dongjiaominxiang Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Yunxiao Sun
- Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, No.1 of Dongjiaominxiang Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Ting Li
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, No.1 of Dongjiaominxiang Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Yang Wang
- Department of Radiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Ningli Wang
- Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, No.1 of Dongjiaominxiang Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Junfang Xian
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, No.1 of Dongjiaominxiang Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China.
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Cooper AC, Tchernykh M, Shmuel A, Mendola JD. Diffusion tensor imaging of optic neuropathies: a narrative review. Quant Imaging Med Surg 2024; 14:1086-1107. [PMID: 38223128 PMCID: PMC10784057 DOI: 10.21037/qims-23-779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Background and Objective Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has been implemented in a breadth of scientific investigations of optic neuropathies, though it has yet to be fully adopted for diagnosis or prognosis. This is potentially due to a lack of standardization and weak replication of results. The aim of this investigation was to review DTI results from studies specific to three distinct optic neuropathies in order to probe its current clinical utility. Methods We reviewed the DTI literature specific to primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), optic neuritis (ON), and traumatic optic neuropathy (TON) by systematically searching the PubMed database on March 1st, 2023. Four distinct DTI metrics are considered: fractional anisotropy (FA), along with mean diffusivity (MD, axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD). Results from within-group, between-group, and correlational studies were thoroughly assessed. Key Content and Findings POAG studies most consistently report a decrease in FA, especially in the optic radiations, followed in prevalence by an increase in RD and then MD, whilst AD yields conflicting results between studies. It is notable that there is not an equal distribution of investigated DTI metrics, with FA utilized the most, followed by MD, RD, and AD. Studies of ON are similar in that the most consistent findings are specific to FA, RD, and MD. These results are specific to the optic nerve and radiation since only one study measured the intermediary regions. More studies are needed to assess the effect that ON has on the tracts of the visual system. Finally, only three studies assessing DTI of TON have been performed to date, displaying low to moderate replicability of results. To improve the level of agreement between studies assessing each optic neuropathy, an increased level of standardization is recommended. Conclusions Both POAG and ON studies have yielded some prevalent DTI findings, both for contrast and correlation-based assessments. Although the clinical need is high for TON, considering the limitations of the current diagnostic tools, too few studies exist to make confident conclusions. Future use of standardized and longitudinal DTI, along with the foreseen methodological and technical improvements, is warranted to effectively study optic neuropathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin C. Cooper
- McGill Vision Research and Department of Ophthalmology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Maxim Tchernykh
- McGill Vision Research and Department of Ophthalmology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Amir Shmuel
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Departments of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Janine D. Mendola
- McGill Vision Research and Department of Ophthalmology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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7
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Wang Y, Guo L, Wang R, Wang Y, Duan F, Zhan Y, Cheng J, Sun X, Tang Z. Abnormal Topological Organization of White Matter Structural Networks in Normal Tension Glaucoma Revealed via Diffusion Tensor Tractography. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1597. [PMID: 38002558 PMCID: PMC10669977 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13111597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Normal tension glaucoma (NTG) is considered a neurodegenerative disease with glaucomatous damage extending to diffuse brain areas. Therefore, this study aims to explore the abnormalities in the NTG structural network to help in the early diagnosis and course evaluation of NTG. METHODS The structural networks of 46 NTG patients and 19 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were constructed using diffusion tensor imaging, followed by graph theory analysis and correlation analysis of small-world properties with glaucoma clinical indicators. In addition, the network-based statistical analysis (NBS) method was used to compare structural network connectivity differences between NTG patients and healthy controls. RESULTS Structural brain networks in both NTG and NC groups exhibited small-world properties. However, the small-world index in the severe NTG group was reduced and correlated with a mean deviation of the visual field (MDVF) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness. When compared to healthy controls, degree centrality and nodal efficiency in visual brain areas were significantly decreased, and betweenness centrality and nodal local efficiency in both visual and nonvisual brain areas were also significantly altered in NTG patients (all p < 0.05, FDR corrected). Furthermore, NTG patients exhibited increased structural connectivity in the occipitotemporal area, with the left fusiform gyrus (FFG.L) as the hub (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS NTG exhibited altered global properties and local properties of visual and cognitive-emotional brain areas, with enhanced structural connections within the occipitotemporal area. Moreover, the disrupted small-world properties of white matter might be imaging biomarkers for assessing NTG progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Wang
- Department of Radiology, Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China (F.D.)
| | - Linying Guo
- Department of Radiology, Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China (F.D.)
| | - Rong Wang
- Department of Radiology, Huashan Hospital of Fudan University, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Yuzhe Wang
- Department of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; (Y.W.)
| | - Fei Duan
- Department of Radiology, Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China (F.D.)
| | - Yang Zhan
- Department of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; (Y.W.)
| | - Jingfeng Cheng
- Department of Radiology, Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China (F.D.)
| | - Xinghuai Sun
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China;
| | - Zuohua Tang
- Department of Radiology, Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China (F.D.)
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Wang C, Kravets S, Sethi A, Espeland MA, Pasquale LR, Rapp SR, Klein BE, Meuer SM, Haan MN, Maki PM, Hallak JA, Vajaranant TS. An Association Between Large Optic Cupping and Total and Regional Brain Volume: The Women's Health Initiative. Am J Ophthalmol 2023; 249:21-28. [PMID: 36638905 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2022.12.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate the relationships between optic nerve cupping and total and regional brain volumes. DESIGN Secondary analysis of randomized clinical trial data. METHODS Women 65 to 79 years of age without glaucoma with cup-to-disc ratio (CDR) measurements from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Sight Examination study and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based total and regional brain volumes from the WHI Memory Study MRI-1 were included. Large CDR was defined as 0.6 or greater in either eye. Generalized estimating equation models were used to account for intra-brain correlations between the right and left sides. The final analysis was adjusted for demographic and clinical characteristics and for total brain volume (for regional analyses). RESULTS Final analyses included 471 women, with the mean age ± SD was 69.2 ± 3.6 years; 92.8% of the subjects were white. Of 471 women, 34 (7.2%) had large CDR. Controlling for total brain volume and for demographic and clinical characteristics, lateral ventricle volume was 3.01 cc larger for subjects with large CDR compared to those without large CDR (95% CI = 0.02 to 5.99; P = .048). Furthermore, frontal lobe volume was 4.78 cc lower for subjects with large CDR compared to those without (95% CI = -8.71, -0.84; P = 0.02), and occipital lobe volume was 1.86 cc lower for those with large CDR compared to those without (95% CI = -3.39, -0.3; P =.02). CONCLUSIONS Our analysis suggests that in women aged 65 years or more, large CDR is associated with lower relative total brain volume and absolute regional volume in the frontal and occipital lobes. Enlarged CDR in individuals without glaucoma may represent a sign of optic nerve and brain aging, although more longitudinal data are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Wang
- From the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary (C.W., S.K., A.S., J.A.H., T.S.V.), Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA; College of Medicine (C.W., A.S.), University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Ilinois, USA
| | - Sasha Kravets
- From the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary (C.W., S.K., A.S., J.A.H., T.S.V.), Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA; Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (S.K.), School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Abhishek Sethi
- From the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary (C.W., S.K., A.S., J.A.H., T.S.V.), Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA; College of Medicine (C.W., A.S.), University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Ilinois, USA
| | - Mark A Espeland
- Departments of Internal Medicine and Biostatistics and Data Science (M.A.E.), Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Louis R Pasquale
- Department of Ophthalmology (L.R.P.), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Stephen R Rapp
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine (S.R.R.), Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Barbara E Klein
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (B.E.K., S.M.M.), University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Stacy M Meuer
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (B.E.K., S.M.M.), University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Mary N Haan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (M.N.H.), University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Pauline M Maki
- Department of Psychiatry (P.M.M.), University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Joelle A Hallak
- From the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary (C.W., S.K., A.S., J.A.H., T.S.V.), Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Thasarat Sutabutr Vajaranant
- From the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary (C.W., S.K., A.S., J.A.H., T.S.V.), Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
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Wang J, Zhang Y, Meng X, Liu G. Application of diffusion tensor imaging technology in glaucoma diagnosis. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1125638. [PMID: 36816120 PMCID: PMC9932933 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1125638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma is the first major category of irreversible blinding eye illnesses worldwide. Its leading cause is the death of retinal ganglion cells and their axons, which results in the loss of vision. Research indicates that glaucoma affects the optic nerve and the whole visual pathway. It also reveals that degenerative lesions caused by glaucoma can be found outside the visual pathway. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique that can investigate the complete visual system, including alterations in the optic nerve, optic chiasm, optic tract, lateral geniculate nuclear, and optic radiation. In order to provide a more solid foundation for the degenerative characteristics of glaucoma, this paper will discuss the standard diagnostic techniques for glaucoma through a review of the literature, describe the use of DTI technology in glaucoma in humans and animal models, and introduce these techniques. With the advancement of DTI technology and its coupling with artificial intelligence, DTI represents a potential future for MRI technology in glaucoma research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Gang Liu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xiangyang No. 1 People’s Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Xiangyang, Hubei, China
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10
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Bogolepova AN, Makhnovich EV, Kovalenko EA, Osinovskaya NA, Beregov MM. [Features of neuropsychological status and results of magnetic resonance morphometry in patients with Alzheimer's disease and glaucoma]. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2023; 123:43-51. [PMID: 37796067 DOI: 10.17116/jnevro202312309143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To identify the relationship of neuropsychological changes in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and to evaluate the results of magnetic resonance (MR)-morphometry in patients with these diseases. MATERIAL AND METHODS We examined 32 patients (median age 67 [61.25; 76.75] years, 78.1% women) diagnosed with AD and POAG. The patients were divided into the AD group (n=16) and the POAG group (n=16). Complaints and anamnesis were collected for all patients, neurological status and neuropsychological status were assessed. MRI of the brain, followed by morphometry, was performed. RESULTS Cognitive impairments (CI) were revealed in patients of both groups. The severity of CI in patients with AD was more pronounced than in patients with POAG (p<0.001). Alzheimer's type of CI was detected in both groups. MR-morphometry revealed a decrease in the volume of the left hippocampus, the volume of the right and left amygdala as well as a decrease in the thickness of the right and left entorhinal cortex in the AD group compared with the POAG group (p<0.05). A significant decrease in the thickness of the right medial orbitofrontal cortex was found in the POAG group compared with the AD group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION In AD and POAG, there is a similarity of the neuropsychological profile, which reflects the neurodegeneration characteristic of these diseases. MRI morphometry requires an assessment of both volumes and thickness of brain structures. A neuroimaging pattern identified in patients with POAG can be regarded as an indicator of the glaucomatous process.
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Affiliation(s)
- A N Bogolepova
- Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
- Federal Center of Brain Research and Neurotechnologies, Moscow, Russia
| | - E V Makhnovich
- Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
- Federal Center of Brain Research and Neurotechnologies, Moscow, Russia
| | - E A Kovalenko
- Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
- Federal Center of Brain Research and Neurotechnologies, Moscow, Russia
| | - N A Osinovskaya
- Federal Center of Brain Research and Neurotechnologies, Moscow, Russia
| | - M M Beregov
- Federal Center of Brain Research and Neurotechnologies, Moscow, Russia
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11
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Sujanthan S, Shmuel A, Mendola JD. Resting-state functional MRI of the visual system for characterization of optic neuropathy. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:943618. [PMID: 36330314 PMCID: PMC9622755 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.943618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Optic neuropathy refers to disease of the optic nerve and can result in loss of visual acuity and/or visual field defects. Combining findings from multiple fMRI modalities can offer valuable information for characterizing and managing optic neuropathies. In this article, we review a subset of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI) studies of optic neuropathies. We consider glaucoma, acute optic neuritis (ON), discuss traumatic optic neuropathy (TON), and explore consistency between findings from RS and visually driven fMRI studies. Consistent with visually driven studies, glaucoma studies at rest also indicated reduced activation in the visual cortex and dorsal visual stream. RS-fMRI further reported varying levels of functional connectivity in the ventral stream depending on disease severity. ON patients show alterations within the visual cortex in both fMRI techniques. Particularly, higher-than-normal RS activity is observed in the acute phase and decreases as the disease progresses. A similar pattern is observed in the visual cortex of TON-like, open globe injury (OGI), patients. Additionally, visually driven and RS-fMRI studies of ON patients show recovery of brain activity in the visual cortex. RS-fMRI suggests recovery of signals in higher-tier visual areas MT and LOC as well. Finally, RS-fMRI has not yet been applied to TON, although reviewing OGI studies suggests that it is feasible. Future RS-fMRI studies of optic neuropathies could prioritize studying the fine scale RS activity of brain areas that visually driven studies have identified. We suggest that a more systematic longitudinal comparison of optic neuropathies with advanced fMRI would provide improved diagnostic and prognostic information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujeevini Sujanthan
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Sujeevini Sujanthan,
| | - Amir Shmuel
- Departments of Neurology, Neurosurgery, Physiology, and Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Amir Shmuel,
| | - Janine Dale Mendola
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Janine Dale Mendola,
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12
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McDonald MA, Stevenson CH, Kersten HM, Danesh-Meyer HV. Eye Movement Abnormalities in Glaucoma Patients: A Review. Eye Brain 2022; 14:83-114. [PMID: 36105571 PMCID: PMC9467299 DOI: 10.2147/eb.s361946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma is a common condition that relies on careful clinical assessment to diagnose and determine disease progression. There is growing evidence that glaucoma is associated not only with loss of retinal ganglion cells but also with degeneration of cortical and subcortical brain structures associated with vision and eye movements. The effect of glaucoma pathophysiology on eye movements is not well understood. In this review, we examine the evidence surrounding altered eye movements in glaucoma patients compared to healthy controls, with a focus on quantitative eye tracking studies measuring saccades, fixation, and optokinetic nystagmus in a range of visual tasks. The evidence suggests that glaucoma patients have alterations in several eye movement domains. Patients exhibit longer saccade latencies, which worsen with increasing glaucoma severity. Other saccadic abnormalities include lower saccade amplitude and velocity, and difficulty inhibiting reflexive saccades. Fixation is pathologically altered in glaucoma with reduced stability. Optokinetic nystagmus measures have also been shown to be abnormal. Complex visual tasks (eg reading, driving, and navigating obstacles), integrate these eye movements and result in behavioral adaptations. The review concludes with a summary of the evidence and recommendations for future research in this emerging field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A McDonald
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Clark H Stevenson
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Hannah M Kersten
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Eye Institute, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Helen V Danesh-Meyer
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Eye Institute, Auckland, New Zealand
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13
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Ha YW, Jang H, Koh SB, Noh Y, Lee SK, Seo SW, Cho J, Kim C. Reduced brain subcortical volumes in patients with glaucoma: a pilot neuroimaging study using the region-of-interest-based approach. BMC Neurol 2022; 22:277. [PMID: 35879747 PMCID: PMC9310417 DOI: 10.1186/s12883-022-02807-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background While numerous neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that glaucoma is associated with smaller volumes of the visual cortices in the brain, only a few studies have linked glaucoma with brain structures beyond the visual cortices. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare brain imaging markers and neuropsychological performance between individuals with and without glaucoma. Methods We identified 64 individuals with glaucoma and randomly selected 128 age-, sex-, and education level-matched individuals without glaucoma from a community-based cohort. The study participants underwent 3 T brain magnetic resonance imaging and neuropsychological assessment battery. Regional cortical thickness and subcortical volume were estimated from the brain images of the participants. We used a linear mixed model after adjusting for potential confounding variables. Results Cortical thickness in the occipital lobe was significantly smaller in individuals with glaucoma than in the matched individuals (β = − 0.04 mm, P = 0.014). This did not remain significant after adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors (β = − 0.02 mm, P = 0.67). Individuals with glaucoma had smaller volumes of the thalamus (β = − 212.8 mm3, P = 0.028), caudate (β = − 170.0 mm3, P = 0.029), putamen (β = − 151.4 mm3, P = 0.051), pallidum (β = − 103.6 mm3, P = 0.007), hippocampus (β = − 141.4 mm3, P = 0.026), and amygdala (β = − 87.9 mm3, P = 0.018) compared with those without glaucoma. Among neuropsychological battery tests, only the Stroop color reading test score was significantly lower in individuals with glaucoma compared with those without glaucoma (β = − 0.44, P = 0.038). Conclusions We found that glaucoma was associated with smaller volumes of the thalamus, caudate, putamen, pallidum, amygdala, and hippocampus. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12883-022-02807-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yae Won Ha
- Department of Public Health, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Heeseon Jang
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Baek Koh
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Wonju College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Wonju, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Noh
- Department of Neurology, Gil Medical Center, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Koo Lee
- Department of Radiology, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Won Seo
- Department of Neurology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaelim Cho
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Changsoo Kim
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. .,Institute of Human Complexity and Systems Science, Yonsei University, Incheon, Republic of Korea. .,Institute for Environmental Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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14
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Visual Tract Degradation in Bilateral Normal-Tension Glaucoma-Cortical Thickness Maps and Volumetric Study of Visual Pathway Areas. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11071907. [PMID: 35407515 PMCID: PMC8999724 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11071907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of the study was to evaluate changes in the central visual pathways during the early and advanced stages of bilateral normal-tension glaucoma (NTG). METHODS The studied groups constituted patients with bilateral normal-tension glaucoma of the same stage (n = 45) and age-matched healthy volunteers (n = 17). All patients underwent ophthalmic examination and examination on a 1.5 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Scanner (Optima 360, GE Healthcare). Volume and cortical thickness analyses were performed using the open-source automated software package FreeSurfer. RESULTS There was a significant difference in lateral geniculate nuclei volume between the control and advanced glaucoma groups in the right hemisphere (p = 0.03) and in the left hemisphere between the early and advanced glaucoma patients (p = 0.026). The optic chiasm volume differed significantly between the control and advanced NTG groups (p = 0.0003) and between early and advanced glaucoma patients (p = 0.004). Mean cortical thickness analysis revealed a significant increase in values in the advanced glaucoma group in the right Brodmann area 17 (BA17) (p = 0.007) and right BA18 (p = 0.049) as compared to early NTG. In the left BA18 area, the mean thickness of the cortex in the early glaucoma group was significantly lower than in the control group (p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS The increase in the grey matter thickness in the V1 region with more-advanced glaucoma stages may reflect compensatory hypertrophy. Additionally, the regions of the brain early affected during glaucoma with reduced thickness were the right lateral occipital gyrus and left lingual gyrus. The most prominent change during the course of glaucoma was the increase in grey matter thickness in the right cuneus.
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15
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Sex Hormones and Their Effects on Ocular Disorders and Pathophysiology: Current Aspects and Our Experience. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23063269. [PMID: 35328690 PMCID: PMC8949880 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23063269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex hormones are molecules produced by the gonads and to a small extent by the adrenal gland, which not only determine the primary and secondary sexual characteristics of an individual, differentiating man from woman, but also participate in the functioning of the various systems of the body. The evidence that many eye diseases differ in terms of prevalence between men and women has allowed us, in recent years, to carry out several studies that have investigated the association between sex hormones and the pathophysiology of eye tissues. Specific receptors for sex hormones have been found on the lacrimal and meibomian glands, conjunctiva, cornea, lens, retina, and choroid. This work summarizes the current knowledge on the role that sex hormones play in the pathogenesis of the most common ocular disorders and indicates our clinical experience in these situations. The aim is to stimulate an interdisciplinary approach between endocrinology, neurology, molecular biology, and ophthalmology to improve the management of these diseases and to lay the foundations for new therapeutic strategies.
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16
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Mendoza M, Shotbolt M, Faiq MA, Parra C, Chan KC. Advanced Diffusion MRI of the Visual System in Glaucoma: From Experimental Animal Models to Humans. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:454. [PMID: 35336827 PMCID: PMC8945790 DOI: 10.3390/biology11030454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Glaucoma is a group of ophthalmologic conditions characterized by progressive retinal ganglion cell death, optic nerve degeneration, and irreversible vision loss. While intraocular pressure is the only clinically modifiable risk factor, glaucoma may continue to progress at controlled intraocular pressure, indicating other major factors in contributing to the disease mechanisms. Recent studies demonstrated the feasibility of advanced diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) in visualizing the microstructural integrity of the visual system, opening new possibilities for non-invasive characterization of glaucomatous brain changes for guiding earlier and targeted intervention besides intraocular pressure lowering. In this review, we discuss dMRI methods currently used in visual system investigations, focusing on the eye, optic nerve, optic tract, subcortical visual brain nuclei, optic radiations, and visual cortex. We evaluate how conventional diffusion tensor imaging, higher-order diffusion kurtosis imaging, and other extended dMRI techniques can assess the neuronal and glial integrity of the visual system in both humans and experimental animal models of glaucoma, among other optic neuropathies or neurodegenerative diseases. We also compare the pros and cons of these methods against other imaging modalities. A growing body of dMRI research indicates that this modality holds promise in characterizing early glaucomatous changes in the visual system, determining the disease severity, and identifying potential neurotherapeutic targets, offering more options to slow glaucoma progression and to reduce the prevalence of this world's leading cause of irreversible but preventable blindness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Mendoza
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York, NY 11201, USA; (M.M.); (M.S.)
| | - Max Shotbolt
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York, NY 11201, USA; (M.M.); (M.S.)
| | - Muneeb A. Faiq
- Department of Ophthalmology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, NY 10017, USA; (M.A.F.); (C.P.)
| | - Carlos Parra
- Department of Ophthalmology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, NY 10017, USA; (M.A.F.); (C.P.)
| | - Kevin C. Chan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York, NY 11201, USA; (M.M.); (M.S.)
- Department of Ophthalmology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, NY 10017, USA; (M.A.F.); (C.P.)
- Department of Radiology, Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA
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17
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Kang L, Wan C. Application of advanced magnetic resonance imaging in glaucoma: a narrative review. Quant Imaging Med Surg 2022; 12:2106-2128. [PMID: 35284278 PMCID: PMC8899967 DOI: 10.21037/qims-21-790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases characterized by progressive degeneration of the optic nerve head and retinal ganglion cells and corresponding visual field defects. In recent years, mounting evidence has shown that glaucoma-related damage may not be limited to the degeneration of retinal ganglion cells or the optic nerve head. The entire structure of the visual pathway may be degraded, and the degradation may even extend to some non-visual brain regions. We know that advanced morphological, functional, and metabolic magnetic resonance technologies provide a means to observe quantitatively and in real time the state of brain function. Advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques provide additional diagnostic markers for glaucoma, which are related to known potential histopathological changes. Many researchers in China and globally have conducted clinical and imaging studies on glaucoma. However, they are scattered, and we still need to systematically sort out the advanced MRI related to glaucoma. We reviewed literature published in any language and included all studies that were able to be translated into English from 1 January 1980 to 31 July 2021. Our literature search focused on emerging magnetic resonance neuroimaging techniques for the study of glaucoma. We then identified each functional area of the brain of glaucoma patients through the integration of anatomy, image, and function. The aim was to provide more information about the occurrence and development of glaucoma diseases. From the perspective of neuroimaging, our study provides a research basis to explain the possible mechanism of the occurrence and development of glaucoma. This knowledge gained from these techniques enables us to more clearly observe the damage glaucoma causes to the whole visual pathway. Our study provides new insights into glaucoma-induced changes to the brain. Our findings may enable the progress of these changes to be analyzed and inspire new neuroprotective therapeutic strategies for patients with glaucoma in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longdan Kang
- Department of Ophthalmology, the First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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18
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Killer HE. Special Cerebral and Cerebrospinal Features in Primary Open Angle Glaucoma and Normal Tension Glaucoma. Klin Monbl Augenheilkd 2022; 239:177-181. [PMID: 35211940 DOI: 10.1055/a-1699-2911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
In addition to aqueous humour and blood, cerebrospinal fluid also plays an important part in the pathophysiology of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and, in particular, normal-tension glaucoma (NTG). Apart from the important role of CSF pressure in papillary congestion, the composition of the CSF and its flow rate are relevant. CSF is in contact with the brain, the spinal canal and the optic nerve. In neurodegenerative disease, one potential pathophysiological factor, apart from an altered composition of the CSF, is a decrease in flow rate. Changes in CSF composition and flow rate have also been described in the perioptic subarachnoid space of the optic nerve in patients with normal tension glaucoma. Such findings indicate that primary open angle glaucoma and normal tension glaucoma especially, might be due to a neurodegenerative process.
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19
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Ogawa S, Takemura H, Horiguchi H, Miyazaki A, Matsumoto K, Masuda Y, Yoshikawa K, Nakano T. Multi-Contrast Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Visual White Matter Pathways in Patients With Glaucoma. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2022; 63:29. [PMID: 35201263 PMCID: PMC8883150 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.63.2.29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Glaucoma is a disorder that involves visual field loss caused by retinal ganglion cell damage. Previous diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) studies have demonstrated that retinal ganglion cell damage affects tissues in the optic tract (OT) and optic radiation (OR). However, because previous studies have used a simple diffusion tensor model to analyze dMRI data, the microstructural interpretation of white matter tissue changes remains uncertain. In this study, we used a multi-contrast MRI approach to further clarify the type of microstructural damage that occurs in patients with glaucoma. Methods We collected dMRI data from 17 patients with glaucoma and 30 controls using 3-tesla (3T) MRI. Using the dMRI data, we estimated three types of tissue property metrics: intracellular volume fraction (ICVF), orientation dispersion index (ODI), and isotropic volume fraction (IsoV). Quantitative T1 (qT1) data, which may be relatively specific to myelin, were collected from all subjects. Results In the OT, all four metrics showed significant differences between the glaucoma and control groups. In the OR, only the ICVF showed significant between-group differences. ICVF was significantly correlated with qT1 in the OR of the glaucoma group, although qT1 did not show any abnormality at the group level. Conclusions Our results suggest that, at the group level, tissue changes in OR caused by glaucoma might be explained by axonal damage, which is reflected in the intracellular diffusion signals, rather than myelin damage. The significant correlation between ICVF and qT1 suggests that myelin damage might also occur in a smaller number of severe cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shumpei Ogawa
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiromasa Takemura
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Suita, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Horiguchi
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Kenji Matsumoto
- Brain Science Institute, Tamagawa University, Machida, Japan
| | - Yoichiro Masuda
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Keiji Yoshikawa
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Yoshikawa Eye Clinic, Machida, Japan
| | - Tadashi Nakano
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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20
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Demaria G, Invernizzi A, Ombelet D, Carvalho JC, Renken RJ, Cornelissen FW. Binocular Integrated Visual Field Deficits Are Associated With Changes in Local Network Function in Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma: A Resting-State fMRI Study. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 13:744139. [PMID: 35095465 PMCID: PMC8792402 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.744139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In glaucoma participants, both structural and functional brain changes have been observed, but we still have insufficient understanding of how these changes also affect the integrity of cortical functional networks, and how these changes relate to visual function. This is relevant, as functional network integrity may affect the applicability of future treatments, as well as the options for rehabilitation or training. Here, we compare global and local functional connectivity in local and global brain networks between glaucoma and control participants. Moreover, we study the relationship between functional connectivity and visual field (VF) loss. For our study, 20 subjects with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and 24 age-similar healthy participants were recruited to undergo an ophthalmic assessment followed by two resting-state (RS) (f)MRI scans. For each scan and for each group, the ROIs with eigenvector centrality (EC) values higher than the 95th percentile were considered the most central brain regions (“hubs”). Hubs for which we found a significant difference in EC in both scans between glaucoma and healthy participants were considered to provide evidence for network changes. In addition, we tested the notion that a brain region's hub function in POAG might relate to the severity of a participant's VF defect, irrespective of which eye contributed mostly to this. To determine this, for each participant, eye-independent scores were derived for: (1) sensitivity of the worse eye – indicating disease severity, (2) sensitivity of both eyes combined – with one eye potentially compensating for loss in the other, or (3) difference in eye sensitivity – potentially requiring additional network interactions. By correlating each of these VF scores and the EC values, we assessed whether VF defects could be associated with centrality alterations in POAG. Our results show that no functional connectivity disruptions were found at the global brain level in POAG participants. This indicates that in glaucoma global brain network communication is preserved. Furthermore, for the Lingual Gyrus, identified as a brain hub, we found a positive correlation between the EC value and the VF sensitivity of both eyes combined. The fact that reduced local network functioning is associated with reduced binocular VF sensitivity suggests the presence of local brain reorganization that has a bearing on functional visual abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Demaria
- Laboratory of Experimental Ophthalmology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: Giorgia Demaria
| | - Azzurra Invernizzi
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Daniel Ombelet
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Joana C. Carvalho
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Remco J. Renken
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Frans W. Cornelissen
- Laboratory of Experimental Ophthalmology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
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Brain Functional Network Analysis of Patients with Primary Angle-Closure Glaucoma. DISEASE MARKERS 2022; 2022:2731007. [PMID: 35035609 PMCID: PMC8758296 DOI: 10.1155/2022/2731007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Objectives. Recent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have focused on glaucoma-related neuronal degeneration in structural and spontaneous functional brain activity. However, there are limited studies regarding the differences in the topological organization of the functional brain network in patients with glaucoma. In this study, we aimed to assess both potential alterations and the network efficiency in the functional brain networks of patients with primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG). Methods. We applied resting-state fMRI data to construct the functional connectivity network of 33 patients with PACG (
) and 33 gender- and age-matched healthy controls (
). The differences in the global and regional topological brain network properties between the two groups were assessed using graph theoretical analysis. Partial correlations between the altered regional values and clinical parameters were computed for patients with PACG. Results. No significant differences in global topological measures were identified between the two groups. However, significant regional alterations were identified in the patients with PACG, including differences within visual and nonvisual (somatomotor and cognition-emotion) regions. The normalized clustering coefficient and normalized local efficiency of the right superior parietal gyrus were significantly correlated with the retinal fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) and the vertical cup to disk ratio (V C/D). In addition, the normalized node betweenness of the left middle frontal gyrus (orbital portion) was significantly correlated with the V C/D in the patients with PACG. Conclusions. Our results suggest that regional inefficiency with decrease and compensatory increase in local functional properties of visual and nonvisual nodes preserved the brain network of the PACG at the global level.
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22
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Imaging biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease and glaucoma: Current and future practices. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2022; 62:137-144. [PMID: 34995895 DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2021.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness worldwide. Although intraocular pressure is the main risk factor for glaucoma, several intraocular pressure independent factors have been associated with the risk of developing the disease and its progression. The diagnosis of glaucoma relies on clinical features of the optic nerve, visual field test, and optical coherence tomography. However, the multidisciplinary aspect of the disease suggests that other biomarkers may be useful for the diagnosis, thus underling the importance of novel imaging techniques supporting clinicians. This review analyzes the common pathogenic mechanisms between glaucoma and Alzheimer's disease and the possible novel approaches for diagnosis and follow up.
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Zheng C, Liu S, Zhang X, Hu Y, Shang X, Zhu Z, Huang Y, Wu G, Xiao Y, Du Z, Liang Y, Chen D, Zang S, Hu Y, He M, Zhang X, Yu H. Shared genetic architecture between the two neurodegenerative diseases: Alzheimer's disease and glaucoma. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:880576. [PMID: 36118709 PMCID: PMC9476600 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.880576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Considered as the representatives of neurodegenerative diseases, Alzheimer's disease (AD) and glaucoma are complex progressive neuropathies affected by both genetic and environmental risk factors and cause irreversible damages. Current research indicates that there are common features between AD and glaucoma in terms of epidemiology and pathophysiology. However, the understandings and explanations of their comorbidity and potential genetic overlaps are still limited and insufficient. METHOD Genetic pleiotropy analysis was performed using large genome-wide association studies summary statistics of AD and glaucoma, with an independent cohort of glaucoma for replication. Conditional and conjunctional false discovery rate methods were applied to identify the shared loci. Biological function and network analysis, as well as the expression level analysis were performed to investigate the significance of the shared genes. RESULTS A significant positive genetic correlation between AD and glaucoma was identified, indicating that there were significant polygenetic overlaps. Forty-nine shared loci were identified and mapped to 11 shared protein-coding genes. Functional genomic analyses of the shared genes indicate their modulation of critical physiological processes in human cells, including those occurring in the mitochondria, nucleus, and cellular membranes. Most of the shared genes indicated a potential modulation of metabolic processes in human cells and tissues. Furthermore, human protein-protein interaction network analyses revealed that some of the shared genes, especially MTCH2, NDUFS3, and PTPMT1, as well as SPI1 and MYBPC3, may function concordantly. The modulation of their expressions may be related to metabolic dysfunction and pathogenic processes. CONCLUSION Our study identified a shared genetic architecture between AD and glaucoma, which may explain their shared features in epidemiology and pathophysiology. The potential involvement of these shared genes in molecular and cellular processes reflects the "inter-organ crosstalk" between AD and glaucoma. These results may serve as a genetic basis for the development of innovative and effective therapeutics for AD, glaucoma, and other neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunwen Zheng
- Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
- Guangdong Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shunming Liu
- Guangdong Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiayin Zhang
- Guangdong Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yunyan Hu
- Guangdong Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xianwen Shang
- Guangdong Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhuoting Zhu
- Guangdong Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yu Huang
- Guangdong Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guanrong Wu
- Guangdong Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yu Xiao
- Guangdong Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zijing Du
- Guangdong Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yingying Liang
- Guangdong Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Daiyu Chen
- Guangdong Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Siwen Zang
- Guangdong Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yijun Hu
- Guangdong Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mingguang He
- Guangdong Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Xueli Zhang
- Guangdong Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Medical Research Center, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Honghua Yu
- Guangdong Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
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24
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Arrigo A, Aragona E, Saladino A, Arrigo D, Fantaguzzi F, Battaglia Parodi M, Bandello F. Cognitive Dysfunctions in Glaucoma: An Overview of Morpho-Functional Mechanisms and the Impact on Higher-Order Visual Function. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:747050. [PMID: 34690746 PMCID: PMC8526892 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.747050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Glaucoma is a chronic, vision-threatening disease, and a major cause of legal blindness. The current view is no longer limited to the progressive optic nerve injury, since growing evidence strongly support the interpretation of glaucoma as a complex neurodegenerative disease. However, the precise pathogenic mechanisms leading to the onset and progression of central nervous system (CNS) impairment, and the functional consequences of this damage, are still partially understood. The main aim of this review is to provide a complete and updated overview of the current knowledge regarding the CNS involvement in glaucoma, and the possible therapeutic perspectives. Methods: We made a careful survey of the current literature reporting all the relevant findings related to the cognitive dysfunctions occurring in glaucoma, with specific remarks dedicated on the higher-order visual function impairment and the possible employment of neuroprotective agents. Results: The current literature strongly support the interpretation of glaucoma as a multifaceted chronic neurodegenerative disease, widely affecting the CNS. The cognitive impairment may vary in terms of higher-order functions involvement and in the severity of the degeneration. Although several neuroprotective agents are currently available, the development of new molecules represents a major topic of investigation for future clinical trials. Conclusions: Glaucoma earned the right to be fully considered a neurodegenerative disease. Glaucomatous patients may experience a heterogeneous set of visual and cognitive symptoms, progressively deteriorating the quality of life. Neuroprotection is nowadays a necessary therapeutic goal and a future promising way to preserve visual and cognitive functions, thus improving patients' quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Arrigo
- Department of Ophthalmology, Scientific Institute San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Emanuela Aragona
- Department of Ophthalmology, Scientific Institute San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Saladino
- Department of Ophthalmology, Scientific Institute San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Davide Arrigo
- School of Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Federico Fantaguzzi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Scientific Institute San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Francesco Bandello
- Department of Ophthalmology, Scientific Institute San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
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25
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Jing D, Liu Z, Chou Y, Wang H, Gao S, Fan X, Wang W. Discrepancy between NTG and POAG with corneal nerves in CCM. Eye (Lond) 2021; 36:1662-1668. [PMID: 34341486 PMCID: PMC9307790 DOI: 10.1038/s41433-021-01705-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To investigate the morphological features of corneal subbasal nerve plexus (CSNP) in normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). METHODS Thirty-four eyes with NTG (16 untreated), 23 eyes with POAG (11 untreated) and 31 eyes of healthy subjects were recruited. CSNP were assessed by corneal confocal microscopy (CCM) and peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) was measured with optical coherence tomography (OCT). CCM parameters including corneal subbasal nerve fibre length (FL), corneal subbasal nerve branch number (BN), corneal subbasal nerve width (NW), corneal subbasal nerve reflectivity (NR), total and local corneal subbasal nerve tortuosity (NT) was compared across all groups, as well as between the topical medication treated and the nontreated patients. RESULTS The newly diagnosed NTG patients had the longest FL (3619.15 ± 501.55), most BN (21.02 ± 5.90), thinnest corneal subbasal nerve width (3.04 ± 0.82), corneal subbasal nerve lowest reflectivity (140.43 ± 10.24) and the corneal subbasal nerves were most bending (1.09 ± 0.06) and tortuous (123.36 ± 7.82) compared with untreated POAG patients and controls. Untreated POAG had similar CSNP to controls. The treated glaucoma patients had longer FL and more BN than the nontreated but with no significant difference. FL and BN had correlations with RNFL thickness in untreated NTG patients, and NR and NW had correlations with RNFL thickness in untreated POAG patients. NT had no correlations with RNFL thickness. CONCLUSIONS The NTG group had different CSNP characteristics from the POAG group and controls, while the latter two shared more morphological features. The CCM parameters except NT had associations with the RNFL thickness in glaucoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dl Jing
- Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing key laboratory of restoration of damaged ocular nerve, Beijing, China
| | - Zy Liu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing key laboratory of restoration of damaged ocular nerve, Beijing, China
| | - Yl Chou
- Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing key laboratory of restoration of damaged ocular nerve, Beijing, China
| | - Hk Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing key laboratory of restoration of damaged ocular nerve, Beijing, China
| | - S Gao
- Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing key laboratory of restoration of damaged ocular nerve, Beijing, China
| | - X Fan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing key laboratory of restoration of damaged ocular nerve, Beijing, China.
| | - W Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing key laboratory of restoration of damaged ocular nerve, Beijing, China.
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26
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Parisi V, Ziccardi L, Tanga L, Roberti G, Barbano L, Carnevale C, Manni G, Oddone F. Neural Conduction Along Postretinal Visual Pathways in Glaucoma. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:697425. [PMID: 34408643 PMCID: PMC8365149 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.697425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose: This study was conducted in order to evaluate retinal ganglion cell (RCG) function and the neural conduction along the postretinal large and small axons and its correlation with retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFL-T) in open-angle glaucoma (OAG) eyes. Methods: Thirty-seven OAG patients (mean age: 51.68 ± 9.83 years) with 24-2 Humphrey mean deviation (MD) between -2.5 and -20 dB and IOP <21 mmHg on pharmacological treatment (OAG group) and 20 age-matched controls (control group) were enrolled. In both groups, simultaneous pattern electroretinograms (PERG) and visual evoked potentials (VEP), in response to checks stimulating macular or extramacular areas (the check edge subtended 15' and 60' of visual arc, respectively), and RNFL-T (measured in superior, inferior, nasal, and temporal quadrants) were assessed. Results: In the OAG group, a significant (ANOVA, p < 0.01) reduction of 60' and 15' PERG P50-N95 and VEP N75-P100 amplitudes and of RNFL-T [overall (average of all quadrants) or temporal] with respect to controls was found; the values of 60' and 15' PERG P50 and VEP P100 implicit times and of retinocortical time (RCT; difference between VEP P100 and PERG P50 implicit times) were significantly (p < 0.01) increased with respect to control ones. The observed increased RCTs were significantly linearly correlated (Pearson's test, p < 0.01) with the reduced PERG amplitude and MD values, whereas no significant linear correlation (p < 0.01) with RNFL-T (overall or temporal) values was detected. Conclusions: In OAG, there is an impaired postretinal neural conduction along both large and small axons (increased 60' and 15' RCTs) that is related to RGC dysfunction, but independent from the RNFL morphology. This implies that, in OAG, the impairment of postretinal neural structures can be electrophysiologically identified and may contribute to the visual field defects, as suggested by the linear correlation between the increase of RCT and MD reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Gianluca Manni
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
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27
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Colbert MK, Ho LC, van der Merwe Y, Yang X, McLellan GJ, Hurley SA, Field AS, Yun H, Du Y, Conner IP, Parra C, Faiq MA, Fingert JH, Wollstein G, Schuman JS, Chan KC. Diffusion Tensor Imaging of Visual Pathway Abnormalities in Five Glaucoma Animal Models. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2021; 62:21. [PMID: 34410298 PMCID: PMC8383913 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.62.10.21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose To characterize the visual pathway integrity of five glaucoma animal models using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Methods Two experimentally induced and three genetically determined models of glaucoma were evaluated. For inducible models, chronic IOP elevation was achieved via intracameral injection of microbeads or laser photocoagulation of the trabecular meshwork in adult rodent eyes. For genetic models, the DBA/2J mouse model of pigmentary glaucoma, the LTBP2 mutant feline model of congenital glaucoma, and the transgenic TBK1 mouse model of normotensive glaucoma were compared with their respective genetically matched healthy controls. DTI parameters, including fractional anisotropy, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity, were evaluated along the optic nerve and optic tract. Results Significantly elevated IOP relative to controls was observed in each animal model except for the transgenic TBK1 mice. Significantly lower fractional anisotropy and higher radial diffusivity were observed along the visual pathways of the microbead- and laser-induced rodent models, the DBA/2J mice, and the LTBP2-mutant cats compared with their respective healthy controls. The DBA/2J mice also exhibited lower axial diffusivity, which was not observed in the other models examined. No apparent DTI change was observed in the transgenic TBK1 mice compared with controls. Conclusions Chronic IOP elevation was accompanied by decreased fractional anisotropy and increased radial diffusivity along the optic nerve or optic tract, suggestive of disrupted microstructural integrity in both inducible and genetic glaucoma animal models. The effects on axial diffusivity differed between models, indicating that this DTI metric may represent different aspects of pathological changes over time and with severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max K Colbert
- Department of Ophthalmology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, New York, United States
| | - Leon C Ho
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Yolandi van der Merwe
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Xiaoling Yang
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Gillian J McLellan
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States.,McPherson Eye Research Institute, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States
| | - Samuel A Hurley
- Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States
| | - Aaron S Field
- Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States
| | - Hongmin Yun
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Yiqin Du
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Ian P Conner
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Carlos Parra
- Department of Ophthalmology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, New York, United States
| | - Muneeb A Faiq
- Department of Ophthalmology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, New York, United States
| | - John H Fingert
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, United States
| | - Gadi Wollstein
- Department of Ophthalmology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, New York, United States.,Center for Neural Science, College of Arts and Science, New York University, New York, New York, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, New York, United States
| | - Joel S Schuman
- Department of Ophthalmology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, New York, United States.,Center for Neural Science, College of Arts and Science, New York University, New York, New York, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, New York, United States.,Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, New York, United States
| | - Kevin C Chan
- Department of Ophthalmology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, New York, United States.,Center for Neural Science, College of Arts and Science, New York University, New York, New York, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, New York, United States.,Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, New York, United States.,Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, New York, United States
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28
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Re R, Messenio D, Marano G, Spinelli L, Pirovano I, Contini D, Colombo R, Boracchi P, Biganzoli E, Cubeddu R, Torricelli A. Monitoring the haemodynamic response to visual stimulation in glaucoma patients. Sci Rep 2021; 11:13567. [PMID: 34193904 PMCID: PMC8245402 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92857-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In this paper, we used time-domain functional near infrared spectroscopy (TD-fNIRS) to evaluate the haemodynamic response function (HRF) in the occipital cortex following visual stimulation in glaucomatous eyes as compared to healthy eyes. A total of 98 subjects were enrolled in the study and clinically classified as healthy subjects, glaucoma patients (primary open-angle glaucoma) and mixed subjects (i.e. with a different classification for the two eyes). After quality check data were used from HRF of 73 healthy and 62 glaucomatous eyes. The amplitudes of the oxygenated and deoxygenated haemoglobin concentrations, together with their latencies with respect to the stimulus onset, were estimated by fitting their time course with a canonical HRF. Statistical analysis showed that the amplitudes of both haemodynamic parameters show a significant association with the pathology and a significant discriminating ability, while no significant result was found for latencies. Overall, our findings together with the ease of use and noninvasiveness of TD-NIRS, make this technique a promising candidate as a supporting tool for a better evaluation of the glaucoma pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Re
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133, Milan, Italy. .,Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133, Milan, Italy.
| | - D Messenio
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Eye Clinic, ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco Hospital, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - G Marano
- Laboratorio di Statistica Medica, Biometria ed Epidemiologia "G.A. Maccacaro", Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e di Comunità, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Vanzetti 5, Milan, Italy
| | - L Spinelli
- Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - I Pirovano
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133, Milan, Italy.,Istituto di Tecnologie Biomediche, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, via Fratelli Cervi 93, 20090, Segrate, MI, Italy
| | - D Contini
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - R Colombo
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Eye Clinic, ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco Hospital, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - P Boracchi
- Laboratorio di Statistica Medica, Biometria ed Epidemiologia "G.A. Maccacaro", Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e di Comunità, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Vanzetti 5, Milan, Italy
| | - E Biganzoli
- Laboratorio di Statistica Medica, Biometria ed Epidemiologia "G.A. Maccacaro", Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e di Comunità, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Vanzetti 5, Milan, Italy.,Unità di Statistica Medica, Biometria e Bioinformatica, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano, Via Vanzetti 5, Milan, Italy
| | - R Cubeddu
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - A Torricelli
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133, Milan, Italy.,Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133, Milan, Italy
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29
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Nuzzi R, Vitale A. Cerebral Modifications in Glaucoma and Macular Degeneration: Analysis of Current Evidence in Literature and Their Implications on Therapeutic Perspectives. Eye Brain 2021; 13:159-173. [PMID: 34168513 PMCID: PMC8216745 DOI: 10.2147/eb.s307551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma and macular degeneration are leading causes of irreversible blindness, significantly compromising the quality of life and having a high economic and social impact. Promising therapeutic approaches aimed at regenerating or bypassing the damaged anatomical-functional components are currently under development: these approaches have generated great expectations, but to be effective require a visual network that, despite the pathology, maintains its integrity up to the higher brain areas. In the light of this, the existing findings concerning how the central nervous system modifies its connections following the pathological damage caused by glaucoma and macular degeneration acquire great interest. This review aims to examine the scientific literature concerning the morphological and functional changes affecting the central nervous system in these pathological conditions, summarizing the evidence in an analytical way, discussing their possible causes and highlighting the potential repercussions on the current therapeutic perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaele Nuzzi
- Eye Clinic, Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, 10126, Italy
| | - Alessio Vitale
- Eye Clinic, Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, 10126, Italy
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30
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Samanchi R, Prakash Muthukrishnan S, Dada T, Sihota R, Kaur S, Sharma R. Altered spontaneous cortical activity in mild glaucoma: A quantitative EEG study. Neurosci Lett 2021; 759:136036. [PMID: 34116196 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.136036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2020] [Revised: 05/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Functional neuroimaging studies have reported alterations in cortical activity indicating glaucoma as a progressive neurodegenerative disease. Hence the current study aimed to assess the cortical activity using high-density EEG in patients with mild glaucoma during resting state. Treatment-naive 37 patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), 34 patients with primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG), and 32 healthy controls were included in the study. Resting state EEG i.e., eyes closed (EC) and eyes open conditions (EO) were acquired using 128-channel for 3 min. After preprocessing, the current density of 6239 voxels of the data was estimated using sLORETA. In comparison to healthy controls, PACG had higher activity at cingulate gyri, medial and superior frontal gyri during EO only. POAG had significantly higher activity at precentral gyrus and middle frontal gyrus during EC, whereas at cingulate gyri, frontal gyri, precentral gyri, paracentral lobule, sub-gyral region, postcentral gyrus, and precuneus during EO. POAG had significantly higher activity at precuneus and cuneus compared to PACG during EO. Intraocular pressure and mean-deviation of visual fields had a positive correlation with cortical activity. Results of the study indicate physiological alterations not only at the level of retina but also at brain even in the early stages of the disease. These alterations in the cortical activity were more in POAG than PACG. Controlling the IOP alone might be insufficient in glaucoma because of widespread alterations in cortical activity. These findings might enhance the current understanding of cortical involvement in glaucoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rupesh Samanchi
- Stress and Cognitive Electroimaging Laboratory, Department of Physiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Suriya Prakash Muthukrishnan
- Stress and Cognitive Electroimaging Laboratory, Department of Physiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Tanuj Dada
- Dr Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Ramanjit Sihota
- Dr Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Simran Kaur
- Stress and Cognitive Electroimaging Laboratory, Department of Physiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Ratna Sharma
- Stress and Cognitive Electroimaging Laboratory, Department of Physiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
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31
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Salari N, Bokaee S, Farshchian N, Mohammadi M, Kazeminia M. The role of polymorphisms rs2070744 and rs1799983 eNOS gene in patients with POAG: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int Ophthalmol 2021; 41:2747-2763. [PMID: 33837898 DOI: 10.1007/s10792-021-01832-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glaucoma is a progressive disease of the optic nerve that has several underlying causes, but in most cases, the cause is unknown. Given the importance of the role of nitric oxide in the occurrence of ocular nerve damage and the effect of eNOS gene polymorphic sites on protein function, to better understand the mechanism of formation of POAG, the relationship between polymorphisms rs2070744 and rs1799983 eNOS gene with POAG risk was investigated in this study using meta-analysis. METHODS In this study, systematic review and meta-analysis of study data related to the study of polymorphisms rs2070744 and rs1799983 eNOS gene in patients with POAG using the keywords eNOS, NOS3, Gluuc8898, POAG, primary open-angle glaucoma. It was extracted from SID, MagIran, IranMedex, IranDoc, ScienceDirect, Embase, Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar search engines without a time limit until May 2020. To perform the analysis of qualified studies, the model of random effects was used and the inconsistency of studies with the I2 index was investigated. Data analysis was performed with Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (Version 2). RESULTS In a review of 16 studies (9 studies on polymorphism rs2070744 and seven studies on polymorphism rs1799983) with a sample size of 1631 subjects and a control group of 2405 subjects related to polymorphism rs2070744 and a group of 1456 subjects and a control group of 2240 subjects related to polymorphism 9997 rs1, the odds ratio of TT, CT, and CC genotypes was reported to be 0.95, 1.01, and 1.14, respectively, and the odds ratio of GG, GT and TT genotypes to be 0.88, 0.97, and 1.31, respectively, was reported in patients with POAG. CONCLUSION The results of our systematic review and meta-analysis study show that the eNOS gene polymorphisms rs2070744 and rs1799983 may increase the risk of POAG among individuals. However, further studies are needed to confirm these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nader Salari
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Health, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Shadi Bokaee
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Coventry University, Coventry, UK
| | - Nushin Farshchian
- Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Masoud Mohammadi
- Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
| | - Mohsen Kazeminia
- Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
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32
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You M, Rong R, Zeng Z, Xia X, Ji D. Transneuronal Degeneration in the Brain During Glaucoma. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:643685. [PMID: 33889083 PMCID: PMC8055862 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.643685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) is a key factor in the pathophysiology of all types of glaucoma, but the mechanism of pathogenesis of glaucoma remains unclear. RGCs are a group of central nervous system (CNS) neurons whose soma are in the inner retina. The axons of RGCs form the optic nerve and converge at the optic chiasma; from there, they project to the visual cortex via the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the dysfunction and death of CNS and retinal neurons caused by transneuronal degeneration of RGCs, and the view that glaucoma is a widespread neurodegenerative disease involving CNS damage appears more and more frequently in the literature. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of LGN and visual cortex neuron damage in glaucoma and possible mechanisms behind the damage. This review presents an updated and expanded view of neuronal damage in glaucoma, and reveals new and potential targets for neuroprotection and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengling You
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Changsha, China
| | - Rong Rong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Changsha, China
| | - Zhou Zeng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Changsha, China
| | - Xiaobo Xia
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Changsha, China
| | - Dan Ji
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Changsha, China
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33
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Li HL, Chou XM, Liang Y, Pan T, Zhou Q, Pei CG, Jiang J, Li B, Shao Y. Use of rsfMRI-fALFF for the detection of changes in brain activity in patients with normal-tension glaucoma. Acta Radiol 2021; 62:414-422. [PMID: 32571098 DOI: 10.1177/0284185120926901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We know little about the changes of brain activity in patients with normal-tension glaucoma (NTG). PURPOSE To investigate the altered spontaneous brain activity in patients with NTG through the resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging-fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (rsfMRI-fALFF) technique, and to explore the relationship with optical coherence tomography (OCT) and field of vision. MATERIAL AND METHODS Twenty patients with NTG and 20 healthy controls (HCs) (matched for sex, age, and level of education) were enrolled. Spontaneous cerebral activity variations were investigated using the rsfMRI-fALFF technique in all individuals. The average fALFF values of patients with NTG and HCs were compared. RESULTS Compared with HCs, patients with NTG had significantly lower fALFF values in the right angular gyrus and precuneus; however, higher fALFF values in the brain regions were not observed. The values showed statistically significant negative correlation with those of the retinal nerve fiber layer (right angular gyrus: r = -0.607, P = 0.010; right precuneus: r = -0.504, P = 0.020). There was no significant correlation between the fALFF value and cup-disc ratio (right angular gyrus: r = 0.158, P = 0.494; right precuneus: r = -0.087, P = 0.706), mean deviation (right angular gyrus: r = 0.096, P = 0.468; right precuneus: r = 0.026, P = 0.845), and pattern SD value (right angular gyrus: r = 0.064, P = 0.626; right precuneus: r = -0.145, P = 0.268). CONCLUSION Abnormal spontaneous activities were detected in numerous brain regions of patients with NTG, which may provide useful information for understanding the dysfunction in NTG. These activity changes in brain regions may be used as effective clinical indicators for NTG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han-Lin Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, PR China
| | - Xue-Mei Chou
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, PR China
| | - Ying Liang
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, PR China
| | - Tong Pan
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, PR China
| | - Qiong Zhou
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, PR China
| | - Chong-Gang Pei
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, PR China
| | - Jian Jiang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, PR China
| | - Biao Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, PR China
| | - Yi Shao
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, PR China
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34
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Abstract
The prognosis of going blind is very stressful for patients diagnosed with "glaucoma". Worries and fear of losing independence is a constant mental burden, with secondary risks of depression and social isolation. But stress is not only a result of glaucoma but also a possible cause (risk factor). This should not be surprising, given that chronic stress can trigger "psychosomatic" organ dysfunctions anywhere in the body. Why should the organ "eye" be an exception? Indeed, glaucoma patients often suspect that severe emotional stress caused their visual field loss or "foggy vision". The hypothesis that stress is a possible cause of glaucoma is supported by different observations: (i) acute and chronic stress increases intraocular pressure and (ii) long-term stress can lead to vascular dysregulation of the microcirculation in the eye and brain ("Flammer's syndrome"), leading to partial hypoxia and hypoglycaemia (hypo-metabolism). Even if nerve cells do not die, they may then become inactive ("silent" neurons). (iii) Degenerative changes have been reported in the brain of glaucoma patients, affecting not only anterograde or transsynaptic areas of the central visual pathway, but degeneration is also found (iv) in brain areas involved in emotional appraisal and the physiological regulation of stress hormones. There are also psychological hints indicating that stress is a cause of glaucoma: (v) Glaucoma patients with Flammer's syndrome show typical personality traits that are associated with low stress resilience: they often have cold hands or feet, are ambitious (professionally successful), perfectionistic, obsessive, brooding and worrying a lot. (vi) If stress hormone levels and inflammation parameters are reduced in glaucoma patients by relaxation with meditation, this correlates with normalisation of intraocular pressure, and yet another clue is that (vii) visual field improvements after non-invasive current stimulation therapy, that are known to improve circulation and neuronal synchronisation, are much most effective in patients with stress resilient personalities. An appreciation of stress as a "cause" of glaucoma suggests that in addition to standard therapy (i) stress reduction through relaxation techniques should be recommended (e.g. meditation), and (ii) self-medication compliance should not be induced by kindling anxiety and worries with negative communication ("You will go blind!"), but communication should be positive ("The prognosis is optimistic").
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard A Sabel
- Otto-von-Guericke Universität Magdeburg, Institut für Medizinische Psychologie, Deutschland
| | - Luisa Lehnigk
- Otto-von-Guericke Universität Magdeburg, Institut für Medizinische Psychologie, Deutschland
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35
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Abstract
Glaucoma is a chronic progressive optic neuropathy that causes irreversible loss of visual functions. From the clinical point of view, normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) is regarded in Russian taxonomy as a clinical form of standard primary open-angle glaucoma in which the IOP values stay within the normal range, but the typical progressive visual functions loss is still present. The results of the latest studies put in question the traditional views of NTG pathophysiology that are based solely on intraocular pressure values. New capabilities of diagnostic visualization of central nervous system have considerably broadened our knowledge of the NTG development mechanisms. This article reviews current understanding of the pathogenesis of NTG and its connection to vascular and immune factors, translaminar pressure difference etc. The review also considers the relationship between glaucoma and cognitive defects associated with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Yu Petrov
- Research Institute of Eye Diseases, Moscow, Russia
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36
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Girl Power in Glaucoma: The Role of Estrogen in Primary Open Angle Glaucoma. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2020; 42:41-57. [PMID: 33040237 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-020-00965-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Estrogen is essential in maintaining various physiological features in women, and a decline in estrogen levels are known to give rise to numerous unfortunate symptoms associated with menopause. To alleviate these symptoms hormone replacement therapy with estrogen is often used, and has been shown to be fruitful in improving quality of life in women suffering from postmenopausal discomforts. An often forgotten condition associated with menopause is the optic nerve disorder, glaucoma. Thus, estrogen may also have an impact in maintaining the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), which make up the optic nerve, thereby preventing glaucomatous neurodegeneration. This review aims to provide an overview of possible associations of estrogen and the glaucoma subtype, primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), by evaluating the current literature through a PubMed-based literature search. Multiple in vitro and in vivo studies of RGC protection, as well as clinical and epidemiological data concerning the well-defined retinal neurodegenerative disorder POAG have been reviewed. Over all, deficiencies in retinal estrogen may potentially instigate RGC loss, visual disability, and eventual blindness. Estrogen replacement therapy may therefore be a beneficial future treatment. However, more studies are needed to confirm the relevance of estrogen in glaucoma prevention.
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37
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Nucci C, Garaci F, Altobelli S, Di Ciò F, Martucci A, Aiello F, Lanzafame S, Di Giuliano F, Picchi E, Minosse S, Cesareo M, Guerrisi MG, Floris R, Passamonti L, Toschi N. Diffusional Kurtosis Imaging of White Matter Degeneration in Glaucoma. J Clin Med 2020; 9:jcm9103122. [PMID: 32992559 PMCID: PMC7600134 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9103122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma is an optic neuropathy characterized by death of retinal ganglion cells and loss of their axons, progressively leading to blindness. Recently, glaucoma has been conceptualized as a more diffuse neurodegenerative disorder involving the optic nerve and also the entire brain. Consistently, previous studies have used a variety of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques and described widespread changes in the grey and white matter of patients. Diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) provides additional information as compared with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and consistently provides higher sensitivity to early microstructural white matter modification. In this study, we employ DKI to evaluate differences among healthy controls and a mixed population of primary open angle glaucoma patients ranging from stage I to V according to Hodapp–Parrish–Anderson visual field impairment classification. To this end, a cohort of patients affected by primary open angle glaucoma (n = 23) and a group of healthy volunteers (n = 15) were prospectively enrolled and underwent an ophthalmological evaluation followed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using a 3T MR scanner. After estimating both DTI indices, whole-brain, voxel-wise statistical comparisons were performed in white matter using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS). We found widespread differences in several white matter tracts in patients with glaucoma relative to controls in several metrics (mean kurtosis, kurtosis anisotropy, radial kurtosis, and fractional anisotropy) which involved localization well beyond the visual pathways, and involved cognitive, motor, face recognition, and orientation functions amongst others. Our findings lend further support to a causal brain involvement in glaucoma and offer alternative explanations for a number of multidomain impairments often observed in glaucoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Nucci
- Ophthalmology Unit, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy; (A.M.); (F.A.); (M.C.)
- Correspondence: (C.N.); (F.G.); (L.P.); Tel.: +39-06-7259-6145 (C.N.); +39-06-2090-2471 (F.G.); +44-01223-330293 (L.P.)
| | - Francesco Garaci
- Neuroradiology Unit, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy;
- San Raffaele Cassino, 03043 Frosinone, Italy
- Correspondence: (C.N.); (F.G.); (L.P.); Tel.: +39-06-7259-6145 (C.N.); +39-06-2090-2471 (F.G.); +44-01223-330293 (L.P.)
| | - Simone Altobelli
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy; (S.A.); (F.D.C.); (S.L.); (E.P.); (S.M.); (M.G.G.); (N.T.)
| | - Francesco Di Ciò
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy; (S.A.); (F.D.C.); (S.L.); (E.P.); (S.M.); (M.G.G.); (N.T.)
| | - Alessio Martucci
- Ophthalmology Unit, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy; (A.M.); (F.A.); (M.C.)
| | - Francesco Aiello
- Ophthalmology Unit, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy; (A.M.); (F.A.); (M.C.)
| | - Simona Lanzafame
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy; (S.A.); (F.D.C.); (S.L.); (E.P.); (S.M.); (M.G.G.); (N.T.)
| | - Francesca Di Giuliano
- Neuroradiology Unit, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy;
| | - Eliseo Picchi
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy; (S.A.); (F.D.C.); (S.L.); (E.P.); (S.M.); (M.G.G.); (N.T.)
- Diagnostic Imaging Unit, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy;
| | - Silvia Minosse
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy; (S.A.); (F.D.C.); (S.L.); (E.P.); (S.M.); (M.G.G.); (N.T.)
| | - Massimo Cesareo
- Ophthalmology Unit, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy; (A.M.); (F.A.); (M.C.)
| | - Maria Giovanna Guerrisi
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy; (S.A.); (F.D.C.); (S.L.); (E.P.); (S.M.); (M.G.G.); (N.T.)
| | - Roberto Floris
- Diagnostic Imaging Unit, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy;
| | - Luca Passamonti
- Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council, 20090 Milano, Italy
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
- Correspondence: (C.N.); (F.G.); (L.P.); Tel.: +39-06-7259-6145 (C.N.); +39-06-2090-2471 (F.G.); +44-01223-330293 (L.P.)
| | - Nicola Toschi
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy; (S.A.); (F.D.C.); (S.L.); (E.P.); (S.M.); (M.G.G.); (N.T.)
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging and Harvard Medical School, 149 13th Street, Boston, MA 02129, USA
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38
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Killer HE. Is stagnant cerebrospinal fluid involved in the pathophysiology of normal tension glaucoma. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2020; 256:209-220. [PMID: 32958213 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2020.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Current concepts of the pathophysiology of normal tension glaucoma (NTG) include intraocular pressure, vascular dysregulation and the concept of a translaminar pressure gradient. Studies on NTG performed with cisternography demonstrated an impaired cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dynamics in the subarachnoid space of the optic nerve sheath, most pronounced behind the lamina cribrosa. Stagnant CSF might be another risk factor for NTG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanspeter Esriel Killer
- Department of Ophthalmology, Kantonsspital Aarau, Aarau, Switzerland; Center for Biomedicine University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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39
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Di Ciò F, Garaci F, Minosse S, Passamonti L, Martucci A, Lanzafame S, Di Giuliano F, Picchi E, Cesareo M, Guerrisi MG, Floris R, Nucci C, Toschi N. Reorganization of the structural connectome in primary open angle Glaucoma. Neuroimage Clin 2020; 28:102419. [PMID: 33032067 PMCID: PMC7552094 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Primary open angle Glaucoma (POAG) is one of the most common causes of permanent blindness in the world. Recent studies have suggested the hypothesis that POAG is also a central nervous system disorder which may result in additional (i.e., extra-ocular) involvement. The aim of this study is to assess possible structural, whole-brain connectivity alterations in POAG patients. We evaluated 23 POAG patients and 15 healthy controls by combining multi-shell diffusion weighted imaging, multi-shell, multi-tissue probabilistic tractography, graph theoretical measures and a recently designed 'disruption index', which evaluates the global reorganization of brain networks. We also studied the associations between the whole-brain structural connectivity measures and indices of visual acuity including the field index (VFI) and two Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) parameters, namely the Macula Ganglion Cell Layer (MaculaGCL) and Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer (RNFL) thicknesses. We found both global and local structural connectivity differences between POAG patients and controls, which extended well beyond the primary visual pathway and were localized in the left calcarine gyrus (clustering coefficient p = 0.036), left lateral occipital cortex (clustering coefficient p = 0.017, local efficiency p = 0.035), right lingual gyrus (clustering coefficient p = 0.009), and right paracentral lobule (clustering coefficient p = 0.009, local efficiency p = 0.018). Group-wise (clustering coefficient, p = 6.59∙10-7 and local efficiency p = 6.23·10-8) and subject-wise disruption indices (clustering coefficient, p = 0.018 and local efficiency, p = 0.01) also differed between POAG patients and controls. In addition, we found negative associations between RNFL thickness and local measures (clustering coefficient, local efficiency and strength) in the right amygdala (local efficiency p = 0.008, local strength p = 0.016), right inferior temporal gyrus (clustering coefficient p = 0.036, local efficiency p = 0.042), and right temporal pole (local strength p = 0.008). Overall, we show, in patients with POAG, a whole-brain structural reorganization that spans across a variety of brain regions involved in visual processing, motor control, and emotional/cognitive functions. We also identified a pattern of brain structural changes in relation to POAG clinical severity. Taken together, our findings support the hypothesis that the reduction in visual acuity from POAG can be driven by a combination of local (i.e., in the eye) and more extended (i.e., brain) effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Di Ciò
- Medical Physics Section, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Italy.
| | - Francesco Garaci
- Neuroradiology Unit, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy; San Raffaele Cassino, Frosinone, Italy
| | - Silvia Minosse
- Medical Physics Section, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Italy
| | - Luca Passamonti
- Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council, Milano, Italy; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Alessio Martucci
- Ophthalmology Unit, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Lanzafame
- Medical Physics Section, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Italy
| | - Francesca Di Giuliano
- Neuroradiology Unit, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Eliseo Picchi
- Diagnostic Imaging Unit, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Massimo Cesareo
- Ophthalmology Unit, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Giovanna Guerrisi
- Medical Physics Section, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Italy
| | - Roberto Floris
- Diagnostic Imaging Unit, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Nucci
- Ophthalmology Unit, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Nicola Toschi
- Medical Physics Section, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Italy; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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40
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Wang Y, Lu W, Xie Y, Zhou J, Yan T, Han W, Qiu J. Functional Alterations in Resting-State Visual Networks in High-Tension Glaucoma: An Independent Component Analysis. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:330. [PMID: 32903668 PMCID: PMC7438896 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background High-tension glaucoma (HTG) is the most common type of primary open angle glaucoma and elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is the major risk factor of the disease. The aim of this study was to assess alterations in resting-state visual networks in patients with HTG and investigate the effect of elevated IOP on the visual networks. Methods T1-weighted and resting-state functional MRI images were acquired from 36 HTG patients (aged 49.22 ± 15.26 years) and 20 healthy controls (aged 49.90 ± 5.62 years). Group independent component analysis (ICA) was utilized to evaluate altered functional connectivity (FC) in resting-state visual networks between HTG patients and healthy controls. Pearson correlation analysis between mean IOP and altered FCs in the visual networks was performed. Results ICA demonstrated decreased FCs in HTG group in the left calcarine cortex of the lateral visual network, in the bilateral lingual gyrus of the medial visual network and in the bilateral lingual gyrus of the occipital visual network compared with healthy controls. Furthermore, correlation analysis revealed negative correlation between mean IOP and altered FC within the lateral visual network. Conclusion The results suggested reduced FCs between primary and higher visual cortices in HTG brain. The IOP elevation might be responsible for the functional alterations in the visual networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Taian, China.,Department of Ophthalmology, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, China
| | - Weizhao Lu
- Medical Engineering and Technology Research Center, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, China.,Department of Radiology, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, China
| | - Yuanzhong Xie
- Department of Radiology, Taian City Central Hospital, Taian, China
| | - Jian Zhou
- Department of Radiology, Taian City Central Hospital, Taian, China
| | - Tingqin Yan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Taian City Central Hospital, Taian, China
| | - Wenhui Han
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Taian, China.,Department of Ophthalmology, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, China
| | - Jianfeng Qiu
- Medical Engineering and Technology Research Center, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, China.,Department of Radiology, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, China
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41
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Martucci A, Cesareo M, Toschi N, Garaci F, Bagetta G, Nucci C. Brain networks reorganization and functional disability in glaucoma. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2020; 257:65-76. [PMID: 32988473 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2020.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Glaucoma is an optic neuropathy characterized by progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells with associated structural and functional changes of the optic nerve head and retinal nerve fiber layer. However, recent studies employing advanced neuroimaging techniques confirmed that glaucomatous damage is not limited to the eye but extends to the brain, affecting it also beyond the central visual pathways and disrupting brain network organization. We therefore posit that, while visual field changes play an important role in glaucoma-induced disability, central nervous pathways and mechanisms may play an important role in sustaining functional and daily living disability caused by the disease. Here we to summarize the current state of the art on the involvement of central brain circuits and possibly related disabilities in patients with glaucoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Martucci
- Ophthalmology Unit, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Massimo Cesareo
- Ophthalmology Unit, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Nicola Toschi
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Boston, MA, United States; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Francesco Garaci
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; San Raffaele Cassino, Frosinone, Cassino, Italy
| | - Giacinto Bagetta
- Preclinical and Translational Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, Section of Preclinical and Translational Pharmacology, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | - Carlo Nucci
- Ophthalmology Unit, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
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42
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Cio FD, Garaci F, Minosse S, Passamonti L, Martucci A, Lanzafame S, Giuliano FD, Picchi E, Mancino R, Guerrisi M, Nucci C, Floris R, Toschi N. Disruption of structural brain networks in Primary Open Angle Glaucoma. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2020; 2020:1705-1708. [PMID: 33018325 DOI: 10.1109/embc44109.2020.9175417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) is one of the most common causes of permanent blindness in the world. Recent studies have originated the hypothesis that POAG could be considered as a central nervous system pathology which results in secondary visual involvement. The aim of this study is to assess possible structural whole brain connectivity alterations in POAG by combining multi-shell diffusion weighted imaging, multi-shell multi-tissue probabilistic tractography, graph theoretical measures and a newly designed disruption index, which evaluates the global reorganization of brain networks in group-wise comparisons. We found global differences in structural connectivity between Glaucoma patients and controls, as well as in local graph theoretical measures. These changes extended well beyond the primary visual pathway. Furthermore, group-wise and subject-wise disruption indices were found to be statistically different between glaucoma patients and controls, with a positive slope. Overall, our results support the hypothesis of a whole-brain structural reorganization in glaucoma which is specific to structural connectivity, possibly placing this disease within the recently defined groups of brain disconnection syndrome.
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Abstract
The damage caused by glaucoma has been extensively evaluated at the level of the retina and optic nerve head. Many advances have been shown in this field in the last decades. Recent studies have also proved degenerative changes in the brain involving the intracranial optic nerve, lateral geniculate nucleus, and visual cortex. Moreover, these brain abnormalities are also correlated with clinical, optic nerve head, and visual field findings. In this review, we critically evaluate the existing literature studying the use of magnetic resonance imaging in glaucoma, and we discuss issues related to how magnetic resonance imaging results should be incorporated into our clinical practice.
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Altered information flow and microstructure abnormalities of visual cortex in normal-tension glaucoma: Evidence from resting-state fMRI and DKI. Brain Res 2020; 1741:146874. [PMID: 32389589 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2020.146874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Normal tension glaucoma (NTG) is a neurodegenerative disease involves multiple brain areas, but the mechanism remains unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between structural injury and functional reorganization in the brain of NTG, using resting-state functional MRI and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) data acquired for 26 NTG patients and 24 control subjects. Granger causality analysis (GCA) was used to calculate the effective connectivity (EC) between visual cortices and the whole brain to reflect the information flow. The fractional anisotropy (FA), mean kurtosis (MK), axial kurtosis (AK), and radial kurtosis (RK) derived from DKI of visual cortices were extracted to evaluate structural injury. Microstructural abnormalities were detected in bilateral BA17, BA18, and BA19. NTG patients showed significantly decreased EC from BA17 to higher visual cortices and increase EC from higher visual cortices to BA17. The EC from BA17 to posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and from PCC to BA17 both significantly increased, while the EC from right BA18 and BA19 to PCC significantly decreased. Decreased EC between somatosensory cortex and BA17, as well as the decreased ECs between supramarginal gyrus (SMA) and BA17/BA19 were detected. Several abnormal ECs were significantly correlated with microstructural injuries of BA17 and BA18. In conclusion, NTG causes reorganization of information flows among visual cortices and other brain areas, which is consistent with brain microstructural injury.
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Lešták J, Fůs M. Neuroprotection in glaucoma-electrophysiology. Exp Ther Med 2020; 19:2401-2405. [PMID: 32256717 PMCID: PMC7086198 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2020.8509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypertensive glaucoma is defined as a group of diseases with progressive loss of the neuroretinal margin of the optic disc that causes characteristic degenerative optic neuropathy. The present study provided an updated summary of the physiology and pathology of neurotransmission in the visual path, with the focus on glaucoma. The results of positron emission tomography, functional magnetic resonance imaging and mainly electrophysiological methods demonstrated pathogenesis of nerve cell damage in the visual pathway. Based on these conclusions, neuroprotection in glaucoma was proposed. This consists mainly of the reduction of the intraocular pressure. It is followed by a decrease of glutamate in the synaptic cleft and blockade of its binding to the NMDA receptors. The supply of energy substrates to altered nerve cells is also indispensable. Therapy should be systemic due to impairment of the complete visual path.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ján Lešták
- Eye Clinic, JL Faculty of Biomedical Engineering CTU in Prague, 158 00 Prague 5, Czech Republic
- CTU in Prague, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, 272 01 Kladno 2, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Fůs
- Eye Clinic, JL Faculty of Biomedical Engineering CTU in Prague, 158 00 Prague 5, Czech Republic
- CTU in Prague, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, 272 01 Kladno 2, Czech Republic
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Singh AK, Verma S. Use of ocular biomarkers as a potential tool for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Indian J Ophthalmol 2020; 68:555-561. [PMID: 32174567 PMCID: PMC7210832 DOI: 10.4103/ijo.ijo_999_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Revised: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/26/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease worldwide which unfortunately has no known effective cure to date. Despite many clinical trials indicating the effectiveness of preclinical treatment, a sensitive tool for screening of AD is yet to be developed. Due to multiple similarities between ocular and the brain tissue, the eye is being explored by researchers for this purpose, with utmost attention focused on the retinal tissue. Besides visual functional impairment, neuronal degeneration and apoptosis, retinal nerve fiber degeneration, increase in the cup-to-disc ratio, and retinal vascular thinning and tortuosity are the changes observed in the retinal tissue which are related to AD. Studies have shown that targeting these changes in the retina is an effective way of reducing the degeneration of retinal neuronal tissue. Similar mechanisms of neurodegeneration have been demonstrated in the brain and the eyes of AD patients. Multiple studies are underway to investigate the potential of diagnosing AD and detection of amyloid-β (Aβ) levels in the retinal tissue. Since the tissues in the anterior segment of the eye are more accessible for in vivo imaging and examination, they have more potential as screening biomarkers. This article provides a concise review of available literature on the ocular biomarkers in anterior and posterior segments of the eye including the cornea, aqueous humour (AH), crystalline lens, and retina in AD. This review will also highlight the newer technological tools available for the detection of potential biomarkers in the eye for early diagnosis of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajay K Singh
- Consultant and Anterior Segment Surgeon, Department of Ophthalmology, Asian Institute of Medical Sciences, Faridabad, Haryana, India
| | - Shilpa Verma
- WNS Global Services Pvt. Ltd., Gurugram, Haryana, India
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Giorgio A, Zhang J, Costantino F, De Stefano N, Frezzotti P. Altered Large-Scale Brain Functional Connectivity in Ocular Hypertension. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:146. [PMID: 32194370 PMCID: PMC7066214 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We hypothesized that assessment of brain connectivity may shed light on the underpinnings of ocular hypertension (OHT), characterized by raised intraocular pressure (IOP) and no typical glaucomatous findings. OHT carries a risk for future glaucoma development, thus representing a model of presymptomatic condition. In previous studies on glaucoma, we showed altered brain connectivity since the early stage and in case of normal IOP. In this pilot study, we used a multimodal MRI approach by modeling voxelwise measures of gray matter volume, anatomical connectivity along white matter(WM) tracts, and large-scale functional connectivity in OHT subjects (n = 18, age: 58.3 ± 9.8 years) and demographically matched normal controls (n = 29). While OHT brain had no structural alterations, it showed significantly decreased functional connectivity in key cognitive networks [default mode network, frontoparietal working memory network (WMN), ventral attention network (VAN), and salience network (SN)] and altered long-range functional connectivity, which was decreased between default mode and SNs and increased between primary and secondary visual networks (VN). Overall, such findings seem to delineate a complex neuroplasticity in the OHT brain, where decreased functional connectivity in non-visual networks may reflect a type of temporarily downregulated functional reserve while increased functional connectivity between VN may be viewed as a very early attempt of adaptive functional reorganization of the visual system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Giorgio
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Jian Zhang
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Francesco Costantino
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Nicola De Stefano
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Paolo Frezzotti
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
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Brain morphological alterations of cerebral cortex and subcortical nuclei in high-tension glaucoma brain and its associations with intraocular pressure. Neuroradiology 2019; 62:495-502. [PMID: 31872278 DOI: 10.1007/s00234-019-02347-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate brain morphological alterations of high-tension glaucoma patients and explore the association between brain morphological changes and elevated intraocular pressure. METHODS Thirty-six patients with high-tension glaucoma and 20 healthy controls were collected and underwent structural MRI scan. Surface-based morphometry and voxel-based morphometry were applied to assess cortical thickness and subcortical gray matter volume of the enrolled subjects. The association between brain morphometry and intraocular pressure was assessed by partial correlation. RESULTS Compared with healthy controls, high-tension glaucoma patients showed decreased cortical thickness in the bilateral superior temporal gyrus, bilateral superior parietal gyrus, bilateral lateral occipital gyrus, left fusiform gyrus, left medial orbitofrontal gyrus, right precentral gyrus, and right superior frontal gyrus (p < 0.05). High-tension glaucoma patients also showed reduced gray matter volume in the right hippocampus, bilateral putamen, and bilateral thalamus (p < 0.05). In addition, brain morphological correlates of mean intraocular pressure were found in the left rostral middle frontal gyrus, right precentral gyrus, and left postcentral gyrus in high-tension glaucoma group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION High-tension glaucoma patients experienced morphological reduction in the visual and nonvisual areas throughout the entire brain. Elevated intraocular pressure may contribute to the reduction of cortical thickness in certain areas in the progression of the disease.
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Hao J, Pircher A, Miller NR, Hsieh J, Remonda L, Killer HE. Cerebrospinal fluid and optic nerve sheath compartment syndrome: A common pathophysiological mechanism in five different cases? Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2019; 48:212-219. [DOI: 10.1111/ceo.13663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Revised: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jie Hao
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital BaselUniversity of Basel Basel Switzerland
- Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren HospitalCapital Medical University Beijing China
| | - Achmed Pircher
- Department of OphthalmologyKantonsspital Aarau Aarau Switzerland
- Department of Neuroscience/OphthalmologyUppsala University Uppsala Sweden
| | - Neil R. Miller
- Wilmer Ophthalmological InstituteJohns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore Maryland
| | - Jiemei Hsieh
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital BaselUniversity of Basel Basel Switzerland
| | - Luca Remonda
- Department of NeuroradiologyKantonsspital Aarau Aarau Switzerland
| | - Hanspeter E. Killer
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital BaselUniversity of Basel Basel Switzerland
- Department of OphthalmologyKantonsspital Aarau Aarau Switzerland
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Reduced Cerebral Blood Flow in the Visual Cortex and Its Correlation With Glaucomatous Structural Damage to the Retina in Patients With Mild to Moderate Primary Open-angle Glaucoma. J Glaucoma 2019; 27:816-822. [PMID: 29952821 DOI: 10.1097/ijg.0000000000001017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Altered ocular and cerebral vascular autoregulation and vasoreactivity have been demonstrated in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). In the present study, we investigated the correlations between reduced cerebral blood flow (CBF) in early and higher-tier visual cortical areas and glaucomatous changes in the retinas of patients with mild to moderate POAG. PATIENTS AND METHODS 3-dimensional pseudocontinuous arterial spin labelling magnetic resonance imaging at 3 T was performed in 20 normal controls and 15 mild to moderate POAG patients. Regions of interest were selected based on the Population-Average, Landmark- and Surface-based (PALS) atlas of the human cerebral cortex. Arterial spin labelling-measured CBF values were extracted in the early and higher-tier visual cortical areas and were compared between patients and controls using a 2-sample t test. Pearson correlation analyses were used to assess the correlations between reduced CBF and cup-to-disc ratio, retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, and ganglion cell complex thickness. RESULTS Reduced CBF in early visual cortical areas (V1, V2, and ventral posterior area) and in the higher-tier visual left lateral occipital cortex was presented in mild to moderate POAG patients compared with controls. Furthermore, reduced CBF of the right areas V2 and ventral posterior area was correlated with cup-to-disc ratio, total ganglion cell complex thickness, and average retinal nerve fiber layer thickness. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, the complex pathologic progress of POAG includes abnormal cerebral perfusion within the visual cortex since the mild to moderate disease stages. The association of cerebral perfusion changes with alterations of the optic disc and the retina may contribute to the early diagnosis of POAG.
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