Optic nerve involvement in patients with Lyme neuroborreliosis: an electrophysiological study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this neurophysiological study was to retrospectively analyze visual evoked potentials (VEPs) acquired during an examination for diagnosing optic nerve involvement in patients with Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB). Attention was focused on LNB patients with peripheral facial palsy (PFP) and optic nerve involvement. METHODS: A total of 241 Czech patients were classified as having probable/definite LNB (193/48); of these, 57 were younger than 40 years, with a median age of 26.3 years, and 184 were older than 40 years, with a median age of 58.8 years. All patients underwent pattern-reversal (PVEP) and motion-onset (MVEP) VEP examinations. RESULTS: Abnormal VEP results were observed in 150/241 patients and were noted more often in patients over 40 years (p = 0.008). Muscle/joint problems and paresthesia were observed to be significantly more common in patients older than 40 years (p = 0.002, p = 0.030), in contrast to headache and decreased visual acuity, which were seen more often in patients younger than 40 years (p = 0.001, p = 0.033). Peripheral facial palsy was diagnosed in 26/241 LNB patients. Among patients with PFP, VEP peak times above the laboratory limit was observed in 22 (84.6%) individuals. Monitoring of patients with PFP and pathological VEP showed that the adjustment of visual system function occurred in half of the patients in one to more years, in contrast to faster recovery from peripheral facial palsy within months in most patients. CONCLUSION: In LNB patients, VEP helps to increase sensitivity of an early diagnostic process.

Is Glaucoma a Two-Pressure-Related Optic Neuropathy? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objectives: To review the current literature related to the correlation between translaminar pressure difference (TLPD) and glaucoma. Materials and Methods: In this article, we conducted a literature review using MEDLINE via PubMed, Cochrane Eyes and Vision, and Google Scholar from 01/01/2010 to 31/12/2022. Search terms included "glaucoma", "intraocular pressure", "translaminar cribrosa pressure gradient/difference", "intracranial pressure", and "cerebrospinal fluid pressure". Of 471 results, 8 articles were selected for the meta-analysis. Results: Our meta-analysis demonstrated significantly higher intraocular pressure, lower cerebrospinal fluid pressure (CSFp), and greater TLPD in high-tension and normal-tension glaucoma groups compared to healthy groups. Conclusion: The differences in CSFp and TLPD between glaucoma and healthy people detected in current studies suggests a potential relationship between TLPD and glaucoma.

Posterior segment manifestations of Takayasu arteritis: A narrative review.

Ocular symptoms can be the presenting manifestation of Takayasu arteritis (TA) or could be indicative of disease reactivation. A review of published literature related to posterior segment manifestations of TA by using the keywords "Takayasu arteritis," "ophthalmic manifestations," "retina," "retinopathy," "ocular," "optic nerve," and "optic neuropathy" was performed. In total, 62 case reports and 12 case series were included. The majority of the articles were from Asia (n = 47, 64%). Females outnumbered males in the ratio of 7:1. The mean age of patients was 33 years (range: 8-78 years, SD: 13.5 years). In 58% (n = 41 out of 71) cases, ocular symptoms were the presenting manifestation of the underlying disease. Hypotensive retinopathy was found in 70% of eyes, and hypertensive retinopathy was found in 27%. The mean presenting visual acuity (VA) was +1.03 logMAR (range: -0.12 to 3, SD: 1.07), and at the final follow-up was +1.02 logMAR (range: -0.12 to 3, SD 1.17). VA improved in 34% (n = 29/86), remained stable in 45% (39/86), and worsened in 21% (18/86). The mean follow-up was 9 months (range: 0.5-204, SD: 16 months).

Prediction of Visual Field Progression with Baseline and Longitudinal Structural Measurements Using Deep Learning.

PURPOSE: Identifying glaucoma patients at high risk of progression based on widely available structural data is an unmet task in clinical practice. We test the hypothesis that baseline or serial structural measures can predict visual field (VF) progression with deep learning (DL). DESIGN: Development of a DL algorithm to predict VF progression. METHODS: 3,079 eyes (1,765 patients) with various types of glaucoma and ≥5 VFs, and ≥3 years of follow-up from a tertiary academic center were included. Serial VF mean deviation (MD) rates of change were estimated with linear-regression. VF progression was defined as negative MD slope with p<0.05. A Siamese Neural Network with ResNet-152 backbone pre-trained on ImageNet was designed to predict VF progression using serial optic-disc photographs (ODP), and baseline retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness. We tested the model on a separate dataset (427 eyes) with RNFL data from different OCT. The Main Outcome Measure was Area under ROC curve (AUC). RESULTS: Baseline average (SD) MD was 3.4 (4.9)dB. VF progression was detected in 900 eyes (29%). AUC (95% CI) for model incorporating baseline ODP and RNFL thickness was 0.813 (0.757-0.869). After adding the second and third ODPs, AUC increased to 0.860 and 0.894, respectively (p<0.027). This model also had highest AUC (0.911) for predicting fast progression (MD rate <1.0 dB/year). Model's performance was similar when applied to second dataset using RNFL data from another OCT device (AUC=0.893; 0.837-0.948). CONCLUSIONS: DL model predicted VF progression with clinically relevant accuracy using baseline RNFL thickness and serial ODPs and can be implemented as a clinical tool after further validation.

Biomechanical and Vascular Metrics Between Eyes of Patients With Asymmetric Glaucoma and Symmetric Glaucoma.

PRCIS: Corneal hysteresis (CH) and pulsatile ocular blood volume (POBV) were significantly lower in the eye with greater damage in asymmetric glaucoma, without a difference in intraocular pressure (IOP) or central corneal thickness (CCT), and no difference in elastic parameters. OBJECTIVE: To compare biomechanical and vascular metrics between the eyes of patients with asymmetric glaucoma (ASYMM) and those with symmetric glaucoma (SYMM). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-five patients were prospectively recruited and divided into ASYMM, defined as cup-to-disc (C/D) ratio difference >0.1 between eyes and SYMM, with C/D difference ≤0.1. For ASYMM, the smaller C/D was defined as the best eye ("best") and the fellow eye was defined as the worst eye ("worse"). All metrics were subtracted as "worse" minus "best," including the viscoelastic parameter CH, and elastic parameters from the Corvis ST, including stiffness parameter at first applanation, stiffness parameter at highest concavity, integrated inverse radius, deformation amplitude ratio, IOP, CCT, mean deviation (MD), ganglion cell complex (GCC), and POBV were included. Paired t tests were performed between eyes in both groups. Statistical analyses were performed with SAS using a significance threshold of P <0.05. RESULTS: For ASYMM (16 patients), "worse" showed significantly lower CH (-0.76 ± 1.22), POBV (-0.38 ± 0.305), MD (-3.66 ± 6.55), and GCC (-7.9 ± 12.2) compared with "best." No other parameters were significantly different. For SYMM (29 patients), there were no significantly different metrics between eyes. CONCLUSIONS: Lower CH, POBV, GCC, and worse MD were associated with greater glaucomatous damage in asymmetric glaucoma without a difference in IOP or CCT. Lower CH and GCC are consistent with previous studies. POBV, a new clinical parameter that may indicate reduced blood flow, is also associated with greater damage.

Esotropia, nystagmus and optic disk staphyloma in Donnai-Barrow syndrome / Esotropia, nistagmo e estafiloma de disco óptico na síndrome de Donnai-Barrow

ABSTRACT A 12-year-old boy with Donnai-Barrow syndrome diagnosed intra-uterus presented esotropia, high myopia, nystagmus, and optic disk staphyloma in an ophthalmologic examination. The patient had associated Fanconi syndrome and sensorineural hearing loss as well as facial manifestations as hypertelorism, downward slanting of palpebral fissures and low ear implantation. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed agenesis of the corpus callosum. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case associated with esotropia, nystagmus, and optic disk staphyloma.

RESUMO Paciente do sexo masculino, 12 anos, com diagnóstico intrauterino de síndrome de Donnai-Barrow, apresentava ao exame oftalmológico esotropia, alta miopia, nistagmo e estafiloma de disco óptico. Associado ao quadro, apresentava síndrome de Falconi e perda auditiva neurossensorial, além de alterações faciais, como hipertelorismo, inclinação inferior das fissuras palpebrais e implantação baixa das orelhas. Ressonância magnética revelou agenesia de corpo caloso. Ao nosso conhecimento, este é o primeiro caso relatado associando esotropia, nistagmo e estafiloma de disco óptico.

Remyelination in humans due to a retinoid-X receptor agonist is age-dependent.

Remyelination efficiency declines with advancing age in animal models, but this has been harder to demonstrate in people with multiple sclerosis. We show that bexarotene, a putatively remyelinating retinoid-X receptor agonist, shortened the visual evoked potential latency in patients with chronic optic neuropathy aged under 42 years only (with the effect diminishing by 0.45 ms per year of age); and increased the magnetization transfer ratio of deep gray matter lesions in those under 43 years only. Addressing this age-related decline in human remyelination capacity will be an important step in the development of remyelinating therapies that work across the lifespan.

Methanol-induced optic neuropathy: a still-present problem.

Methanol-induced optic neuropathy (Me-ION) is a serious condition that may result in long-term or irreversible visual impairment or even blindness secondary to damage and loss of function of the optic nerve and retina. Me-ION shows a tendency to occur as mass poisonings around the world with a clear predilection for poor societies in developing countries. The main mechanism underlying the molecular basis of Me-ION is the inhibition of the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation process through the binding of the toxic metabolite of methanol-formic acid-with the key enzyme of this process-cytochrome c oxidase. However, other mechanisms, including damage to the eye tissues by oxidative stress causing the intensification of the oxidative peroxidation process with the formation of cytotoxic compounds, as well as an increase in the synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines and influence on the expression of key proteins responsible for maintaining cell homeostasis, also play an important role in the pathogenesis of Me-ION. Histopathological changes in the eye tissues are mainly manifested as the degeneration of axons and glial cells of the optic nerve, often with accompanying damage of the retina that may involve all its layers. Despite the development of therapeutic approaches, persistent visual sequelae are seen in 30-40% of survivors. Thus, Me-ION continues to be an important problem for healthcare systems worldwide.

Multimodal Machine Learning Using Visual Fields and Peripapillary Circular OCT Scans in Detection of Glaucomatous Optic Neuropathy.

PURPOSE: To develop and validate a multimodal artificial intelligence algorithm, FusionNet, using the pattern deviation probability plots from visual field (VF) reports and circular peripapillary OCT scans to detect glaucomatous optic neuropathy (GON). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS: Two thousand four hundred sixty-three pairs of VF and OCT images from 1083 patients. METHODS: FusionNet based on bimodal input of VF and OCT paired data was developed to detect GON. Visual field data were collected using the Humphrey Field Analyzer (HFA). OCT images were collected from 3 types of devices (DRI-OCT, Cirrus OCT, and Spectralis). Two thousand four hundred sixty-three pairs of VF and OCT images were divided into 4 datasets: 1567 for training (HFA and DRI-OCT), 441 for primary validation (HFA and DRI-OCT), 255 for the internal test (HFA and Cirrus OCT), and 200 for the external test set (HFA and Spectralis). GON was defined as retinal nerve fiber layer thinning with corresponding VF defects. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Diagnostic performance of FusionNet compared with that of VFNet (with VF data as input) and OCTNet (with OCT data as input). RESULTS: FusionNet achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.950 (0.931-0.968) and outperformed VFNet (AUC, 0.868 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.834-0.902]), OCTNet (AUC, 0.809 [95% CI, 0.768-0.850]), and 2 glaucoma specialists (glaucoma specialist 1: AUC, 0.882 [95% CI, 0.847-0.917]; glaucoma specialist 2: AUC, 0.883 [95% CI, 0.849-0.918]) in the primary validation set. In the internal and external test sets, the performances of FusionNet were also superior to VFNet and OCTNet (FusionNet vs VFNet vs OCTNet: internal test set 0.917 vs 0.854 vs 0.811; external test set 0.873 vs 0.772 vs 0.785). No significant difference was found between the 2 glaucoma specialists and FusionNet in the internal and external test sets, except for glaucoma specialist 2 (AUC, 0.858 [95% CI, 0.805-0.912]) in the internal test set. CONCLUSIONS: FusionNet, developed using paired VF and OCT data, demonstrated superior performance to both VFNet and OCTNet in detecting GON, suggesting that multimodal machine learning models are valuable in detecting GON.

The Relationship Between Optic Disc and Retinal Artery Position and Glaucomatous Visual Field Progression.

Purpose: To investigate whether retinal structural parameters, including positions of the optic disc and major retinal arteries, affect glaucomatous progression of the visual field (VF). Methods: In this cohort study, 116 eyes of 73 patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) were included. VFs were measured using the Humphrey Field Analyzer 24-2 program and the VF was divided into seven sectors according to the corresponding optic disc angle. Average total deviation (TD) was calculated in each sector. Positions of major retinal arteries in the superotemporal and inferotemporal areas were decided by identifying the points where the retinal artery intersected the 3.4-mm-diameter circle around the optic disc. The relationship between sectorial TD VF progression rate and eight variables (age, mean and standard deviation of intraocular pressure during the observation period, baseline sectorial TD value, papillomacular bundle tilt angle, and axial length, along with superior/inferior arterial angle) was investigated. Results: The main outcome measures were the association between retinal structural parameters and glaucomatous progression of VF. The superior retinal artery angular position was positively associated with sectorial TD progression rates in two central sectors in the inferior hemifield, which suggests faster VF progression where superior retinal artery angles are narrow. Papillomacular bundle tilt was not associated with TD progression rate in any sector. Conclusions: Progression of the inferior VF was associated with the superior retinal artery angular position in this study of POAG.

Spacetime in the brain: rapid brain network reorganization in visual processing and recovery.

Functional connectivity networks (FCN) are the physiological basis of brain synchronization to integrating neural activity. They are not rigid but can reorganize under pathological conditions or during mental or behavioral states. However, because mental acts can be very fast, like the blink of an eye, we now used the visual system as a model to explore rapid FCN reorganization and its functional impact in normal, abnormal and post treatment vision. EEG-recordings were time-locked to visual stimulus presentation; graph analysis of neurophysiological oscillations were used to characterize millisecond FCN dynamics in healthy subjects and in patients with optic nerve damage before and after neuromodulation with alternating currents stimulation and were correlated with visual performance. We showed that rapid and transient FCN synchronization patterns in humans can evolve and dissolve in millisecond speed during visual processing. This rapid FCN reorganization is functionally relevant because disruption and recovery after treatment in optic nerve patients correlated with impaired and recovered visual performance, respectively. Because FCN hub and node interactions can evolve and dissolve in millisecond speed to manage spatial and temporal neural synchronization during visual processing and recovery, we propose "Brain Spacetime" as a fundamental principle of the human mind not only in visual cognition but also in vision restoration.

Strain by virtual extensometers and video-imaging optical coherence tomography as a repeatable metric for IOP-Induced optic nerve head deformations.

PURPOSE: To determine if in vivo strain response of the Optic Nerve Head (ONH) to IOP elevation visualized using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) video imaging and quantified using novel virtual extensometers was able to be provided repeatable measurements of tissue specific deformations. METHODS: The ONHs of 5 eyes from 5 non-human primates (NHPs) were imaged by Spectralis OCT. A vertical and a horizontal B-scan of the ONH were continuously recorded for 60 s at 6 Hz (video imaging mode) during IOP elevation from 10 to 30 mmHg. Imaging was repeated over three imaging sessions. The 2D normal strain was computed by template-matching digital image correlation using virtual extensometers. ANOVA F-test (F) was used to compare inter-eye, inter-session, and inter-tissue variability for the prelaminar, Bruch's membrane opening (BMO), lamina cribrosa (LC) and choroidal regions (against variance the error term). F-test of the ratio between inter-eye to inter-session variability was used to test for strain repeatability across imaging sessions (FIS). RESULTS: Variability of strain across imaging session (F = 0.7263, p = 0.4855) and scan orientation was not significant (F = 1.053, p = 0.3066). Inter session variability of strain was significantly lower than inter-eye variability (FIS = 22.63, p = 0.0428) and inter-tissue variability (FIS = 99.33 p = 0.00998). After IOP elevation, strain was highest in the choroid (-18.11%, p < 0.001), followed by prelaminar tissue (-11.0%, p < 0.001), LC (-3.79%, p < 0.001), and relative change in BMO diameter (-0.57%, p = 0.704). CONCLUSIONS: Virtual extensometers applied to video-OCT were sensitive to the eye-specific and tissue-specific mechanical response of the ONH to IOP and were repeatable across imaging sessions.

Modeling Retinal Ganglion Cell Dysfunction in Optic Neuropathies.

As in glaucoma and other optic neuropathies cellular dysfunction often precedes cell death, the assessment of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) function represents a key outcome measure for neuroprotective strategies aimed at targeting distressed but still viable cells. RGC dysfunction can be assessed with the pattern electroretinogram (PERG), a sensitive measure of electrical activity of RGCs that is recorded non-invasively in human subjects and mouse models. Here, we offer a conceptual framework based on an intuitive state-transition model used for disease management in patients to identify progressive, potentially reversible stages of RGC dysfunction leading to cell death in mouse models of glaucoma and other optic neuropathies. We provide mathematical equations to describe state-transitions with a set of modifiable parameters that alter the time course and severity of state-transitions, which can be used for hypothesis testing and fitting experimental PERG data. PERG dynamics as a function of physiological stimuli are also used to differentiate phenotypic and altered RGC response dynamics, to assess susceptibility to stressors and to assess reversible dysfunction upon pharmacological treatment.

Clinical albinism score, presence of nystagmus and optic nerves defects are correlated with visual outcome in patients with oculocutaneous albinism.

Purpose: To correlate clinical features, molecular genetic findings, and visual acuity in a cohort of patients clinically diagnosed with oculocutaneous albinism.Design: Retrospective chart reviewMethods: 58 charts met the inclusion criteria. Clinical examination, ancillary testing, and molecular genetic diagnoses were extracted. A novel clinical albinism score (CAS) was developed.Results: A least one likely pathogenic mutation was found in 44/58 (75.9%) patients. Mutations in the OCA1 gene were the most common (52.3%), followed by OCA2 (34%), OCA4 (2.3%), OA1 (6.8%), and HPS (4.5%). Thirty-four percentage of patients had a complete genotype, 41% had one mutation found and 24% had negative genetic testing. CAS was statistically significantly higher in patients with complete genotype, versus patients with one or no mutations found (p < .01). Better visual acuity was associated with lower CAS and fewer disease-causing mutations (p < .01). Foveal defects and iris transillumination were associated with a higher number of mutations (p < .01). Patients with nystagmus or anomalous optic nerves had worse visual acuity than those who did not (p < .01, p < .05).Conclusions: Patients with a complete genotype were more likely to have higher CAS. Vision loss correlated with complete phenotype and higher CAS, the presence of nystagmus and anomalous optic nerves. Patients with features of albinism in whom an incomplete genotype was found had better vision than those with complete genotype, suggesting a mild occult mutation or modifier variant. Genetic diagnosis is vital for complete diagnosis, counseling, and family planning.

Altered spontaneous brain activity patterns in dysthyroid optic neuropathy: a resting-state fMRI study.

This research investigates the characteristics of spontaneous brain activity in dysthyroid optic neuropathy patients using the regional homogeneity technique. Sixteen patients with dysthyroid optic neuropathy and 16 thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy patients without dysthyroid optic neuropathy were recruited, matched for weight, height, age, sex, and educational level. All participants underwent resting-state functional nuclear resonance imaging, and the characteristics of spontaneous brain activity were evaluated using the regional homogeneity technique. Each participant in the dysthyroid optic neuropathy group also completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to compare brain activity between the two groups. Pearson correlation analysis evaluated the relationship between regional homogeneity and clinical manifestations in dysthyroid optic neuropathy patients. In addition, we analyzed the correlation between Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale and regional homogeneity. We found that the regional homogeneity values at the corpus callosum/cingulate gyrus and parietal lobe/middle frontal gyrus significantly decreased in dysthyroid optic neuropathy patients. Regional homogeneity values at the corpus callosum/cingulate gyrus and parietal lobe/middle frontal gyrus were negatively correlated with Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale and disease duration. It was found that the regional homogeneity signal values were significantly lower than in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy without in dysthyroid optic neuropathy, which may indicate a risk of regional brain dysfunction in dysthyroid optic neuropathy. The results show that regional homogeneity has the potential for early diagnosis and prevent dysthyroid optic neuropathy. In addition, the findings suggest possible mechanisms of dysthyroid optic neuropathy optic nerve injury. They may provide a valuable basis for further research on the pathological mechanisms of dysthyroid optic neuropathy.

Do Additional Testing Locations Improve the Detection of Macular Perimetric Defects in Glaucoma?

PURPOSE: To evaluate the ability of additional central testing locations to improve detection of macular visual field (VF) defects in glaucoma. DESIGN: Prospective cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: Four hundred forty healthy people and 499 patients with glaucomatous optic neuropathy (GON) were tested with a fundus tracked perimeter (CMP; CenterVue) using a 24-2 grid with 12 additional macular locations (24-2+). METHODS: Glaucomatous optic neuropathy was identified based on expert evaluation of optic nerve head photographs and OCT scans, independently of the VF. We defined macular defects as locations with measurements outside the 5% and 2% normative limits on total deviation (TD) and pattern deviation (PD) maps within the VF central 10°. Classification was based on the total number of affected macular locations (overall detection) or the largest number of affected macular locations connected in a contiguous cluster (cluster detection). Criteria based on the number of locations and cluster size were used to obtain equivalent specificity between the 24-2 grid and the 24-2+ grids, calculated using false detections in the healthy cohort. Partial areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (pAUCs) were also compared at specificities of 95% or more. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Matched specificity comparison of the ability to detect glaucomatous macular defects between the 24-2 and 24-2+ grids. RESULTS: At matched specificity, cluster detection identified more macular defects with the 24-2+ grid compared with the 24-2 grid. For example, the mean increase in percentage of detection was 8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 5%-11%) and 10% (95% CI, 7%-13%) for 5% TD and PD maps, respectively, and 5% (95% CI, 2%-7%) and 6% (95% CI, 4%-8%) for the 2% TD and PD maps, respectively. Good agreement was found between the 2 grids. The improvement measured by pAUCs was also significant but generally small. The percentage of eyes with macular defects ranged from about 30% to 50%. Test time for the 24-2+ grid was longer (21% increase) for both cohorts. Between 74% and 98% of defects missed by the 24-2 grid had at least 1 location with sensitivity of < 20 dB. CONCLUSIONS: Visual field examinations with additional macular locations can improve the detection of macular defects in GON modestly without loss of specificity when appropriate criteria are selected.

"Neuroimaging in ethambutol induced optic neuropathy: MRI in time can save the vision".

Ethambutol is an integral part of Antitubercular therapy (ATT) and is often associated with optic neuropathy, However, neuroimaging of ethambutol induced optic neuropathy has been sparsely reported in the literature. We describe the case of a 45-year male patient, diagnosed as Tuberculous spondylodiscitis and was on ATT. Four months after ATT initiation, he presented with visual blurring in both the eyes with bitemporal hemianopia and central scotomas. Visual evoked potential (VEP) revealed prolonged latencies in N75 and P100 waveforms bilaterally. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) showed optic chiasma and bilateral optic tract hyperintensities on 3D Fluid Attenuated Inversion Recovery (FLAIR) and 3D Double Inversion Recovery (DIR) sequences. Ethambutol was discontinued immediately. On follow-up after 8 weeks, visual acuity reversed back to normal in both eyes.