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PURPOSE: Neuropathological studies in experimental and human glaucoma have shown degenerative changes in the optic pathway. The purpose of this study was to assess optic pathway in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) by using Voxel-Based Morphometry (VBM) and Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI). METHODS: Eighteen patients (aged 59.1 (plus or minus)10.9 years) with disease duration 7.7(plus or minus)5.3 years and eighteen aged-matched controls were studied. The imaging protocol consisted of: T1-weighted high resolution (1 mmnull 1mmnull 1mm) 3-dimensional spoiled gradient echo sequence (repetition time[TR] = 25 ms, echo time[TE]=4,6 ms, acquisition matrix=256 null 228, field of view[FOV]=220 mm), and a multi-slice, spin-echo planar diffusion weighted (TE: 131 msec, TR: 9807 msec, matrix size: 112 null128, thickness: 3 mm, FOV: 230 mm, max b-value: 700 sec/mm2) sequence. Data pre-processing and analysis were performed using MAT-LAB 7.0 and Statistical Parametric Mapping SPM 5. RESULTS: VBM revealed in patients a significant reduction: 1) of gray matter in the left geniculate nucleus and the left visual cortex (B17, B18) 2) of white matter in the intracranial part of the optic nerves and the chiasm (p<0.001). A significant bilateral decrease of the Fractional Anisotropy (FA) index was observed in patients in the cuneus, precuneus, middle temporal gyrus and the left orbital gyrus (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: VBM reveals atrophy and DTI neurodegeneration of the optic pathway in patients with POAG.
A.K. Zikou. University of Ioannina, Medical School, Department of Radiology, IoanninaGreece.
15 Miscellaneous
2.15 Optic nerve (Part of: 2 Anatomical structures in glaucoma)
2.16 Chiasma and retrochiasmal central nervous system (Part of: 2 Anatomical structures in glaucoma)