Central visual pathways in glaucoma: evidence for distal mechanisms of neuronal self-repair.

Central visual pathways in glaucoma: evidence for distal mechanisms of neuronal self-repair.

Crish Samuel D; Calkins David J

Journal of neuro-ophthalmology : the official journal of the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society

2015

2015-09

As in other age-related neurodegenerative diseases, progression of neurodegeneration in glaucoma involves early axonopathy. In glaucoma, this is marked by degradation of active transport along retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons projecting from the retina to the brain. In experimental systems, transport degradation occurs first in the most distal site in the RGC projection, the superior colliculus (SC) of the midbrain. Even as degradation progresses from one retinotopic sector to the next, important structures in the affected sectors persist, including synapses from RGC axon terminals onto SC neurons. This structural persistence is accompanied by focally increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor in hypertrophic SC astrocyte glia and defines a therapeutic window of opportunity. Thus, central brain structures in glaucoma may respond to disease-relevant stress by induction of mechanisms useful for maintaining retinal signals.

Glaucoma/*pathology/*physiopathology; Humans; Neurons/*physiology; Recovery of Function/*physiology; Visual Pathways/*physiopathology

Article information provided for research and reference use only. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).

S29–37

35 Suppl 1