Changes in cortical grey matter density associated with long-standing retinal visual field defects

• Published in: Brain (London, England : 1878) Vol. 132; no. 7; pp. 1898 - 1906
• Main Authors: Boucard, Christine C., Hernowo, Aditya T., Maguire, R. Paul, Jansonius, Nomdo M., Roerdink, Jos B. T. M., Hooymans, Johanna M. M., Cornelissen, Frans W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01-07-2009; Oxford Publishing Limited (England)
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Female; glaucoma; Glaucoma, Open-Angle - complications; Glaucoma, Open-Angle - pathology; Glaucoma, Open-Angle - physiopathology; grey matter density; Humans; macular degeneration; Macular Degeneration - complications; Macular Degeneration - pathology; Macular Degeneration - physiopathology; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neurology; Original; Sensory Deprivation - physiology; Vision Disorders - etiology; Vision Disorders - pathology; Vision Disorders - physiopathology; Vision, Binocular - physiology; visual cortex; Visual Cortex - pathology; Visual Cortex - physiopathology; visual field; Visual Fields - physiology; voxel-based morphometry; visual field; voxel-based morphometry; grey matter density; visual cortex; glaucoma; macular degeneration; Visual cortex; Nervous system diseases; Retinopathy; Visual field; Grey matter; Central nervous system; Retina; Encephalon; Eye; Macular degeneration; Visual system; Eye disease; Visual field disease; Visual pathway; Glaucoma (eye); Voxel; Visual field defect; Morphometry
• ISSN: 0006-8950; 1460-2156
• DOI: 10.1093/brain/awp119

Retinal lesions caused by eye diseases such as glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration can, over time, eliminate stimulation of parts of the visual cortex. This could lead to degeneration of inactive cortical neuronal tissue, but this has not been established in humans. Here, we used magnetic resonance imaging to assess the effects of prolonged sensory deprivation in human visual cortex. High-resolution anatomical magnetic resonance images were obtained in subjects with foveal (age-related macular degeneration) and peripheral (glaucoma) retinal lesions as well as age-matched controls. Comparison of grey matter between patient and control groups revealed density reductions in the approximate retinal lesion projection zones in visual cortex. This indicates that long-term cortical deprivation, due to retinal lesions acquired later in life, is associated with retinotopic-specific neuronal degeneration of visual cortex. Such degeneration could interfere with therapeutic strategies such as the future application of artificial retinal implants to overcome lesion-induced visual impairment.