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Factors other than intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation must be involved in the initiation and progression of glaucoma. An additional element in disease causation may be ischemia in the retina and optic nerve head. Ischemic damage to neurons on the CNS is similar, mechanistically and histopathologically, to changes seen in glaucoma. Further, glaucoma patients with normal IOP show clear evidence of cerebral and ocular ischemia. Aging and atherosclerosis reduce the ability of the eye to autoregulate blood flow when ocular perfusion pressure changes: the dependence of blood flow on perfusion pressure links ischemia to IOP. Consequently, neuroprotective treatments for glaucoma should be designed to both reduce IOP and to improve ocular nutrient delivery.
Dr A. Harris, Department of Ophthalmology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
11.8 Neuroprotection (Part of: 11 Medical treatment)