Mapping Cortical Thickness of the Patients with Unilateral End-Stage Open Angle Glaucoma on Planar Cerebral Cortex Maps

Abstract

PurposeTo estimate and compare cerebral cortex thickness in patients with unilateral end-stage glaucoma with that of age-matched individuals with unaffected vision.Methods14 patients with unilateral end-stage primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) and 12 age-matched control individuals with no problems with vision were selected for the study based on detailed ophthalmic examination. For each participant 3D high-resolution structural brain T1-weighted magnetization prepared MR images were acquired on a 3.0 T scanner. Brain cortex thickness was estimated using the FreeSurfer image analysis environment. After warping of subjects' cortical surfaces to FreeSurfer common space, differences between POAG and control groups were inferred at the group analysis level with the General Linear Model.ResultsThe analysis performed revealed local thinning in the visual cortex areas in the POAG group. Statistically significant differences form 600 mm2 clusters located in the Brodmann area BA19 in the left and right hemisphere.ConclusionUnilateral vision loss due to end-stage neuropathy from POAG is associated with significant thinning of cortical areas employed in vision.

Retinotopic Changes in the Gray Matter Volume and Cerebral Blood Flow in the Primary Visual Cortex of Patients With Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma

“…Our results are consistent with the MRI reports of Yu et al 26 and Bogorodzki et al 27 of local cortical atrophy in the primary visual cortex of patients with glaucoma. Boucard et al 13 also reported a similar GM density decrease in the anterior part of the calcarine fissure in glaucoma patients, as well as in the occipital poles of those with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), who typically suffer from central visual field loss.…”

Early changes of brain connectivity in primary open angle glaucoma

“…However, this was shown in the severe stage, in line with previous studies [Bogorodzki et al, 2014;Boucard et al, 2009;Frezzotti et al, 2014;Li et al, 2012;Zikou et al, 2012] and mapped on postero-lateral regions such as the occipital fusiform gyrus and LOC, both involved in cognition (color information processing, face/body and object recognition) [Grill-Spector et al, 2001]. However, this was shown in the severe stage, in line with previous studies [Bogorodzki et al, 2014;Boucard et al, 2009;Frezzotti et al, 2014;Li et al, 2012;Zikou et al, 2012] and mapped on postero-lateral regions such as the occipital fusiform gyrus and LOC, both involved in cognition (color information processing, face/body and object recognition) [Grill-Spector et al, 2001].…”

“…No atrophy was found in the visual cortex of POAG. However, this was shown in the severe stage, in line with previous studies [Bogorodzki et al, 2014;Boucard et al, 2009;Frezzotti et al, 2014;Li et al, 2012;Zikou et al, 2012] and mapped on postero-lateral regions such as the occipital fusiform gyrus and LOC, both involved in cognition (color information processing, face/body and object recognition) [Grill-Spector et al, 2001]. Interestingly, occipital fusiform gyrus lies close to OR, which indeed showed DTI abnormalities and this would support the occurrence of a secondary anterograde transynaptic degeneration primed by RGCs loss, as demonstrated in experimental animal models [Lam et al, 2003] and postmortem studies [Gupta et al, 2006].…”

Patterns of Individual Variation in Visual Pathway Structure and Function in the Sighted and Blind

“…Young adult carriers of a mitochondrial DNA mutation causing Leber hereditary optic neuropathy have a loss of macular retinal ganglion cells and thicker visual cortex gray matter [68]. In contrast, older people with progressive retinal damage from glaucoma or macular degeneration have thinning in the corresponding eccentric locations of visual cortex [69–72]. It seems the response of the cortex to retinal damage is influenced by the spatial distribution of this loss, the age at which it occurs, or both.…”