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Age-related changes in the human optic nerve.

Carlo Cavallotti¹, Elena Pacella, Nicola Pescosolido

¹Department of Human Anatomy, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy. cavallotti@uniroma1.it

Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology. Journal Canadien D'Ophtalmologie

|January 9, 2003

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Aging significantly alters the human optic nerve, increasing its diameter and astrocyte presence while decreasing large nerve fibers. The optic nerve serves as a model for neuronal aging research.

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Ophthalmology
Gerontology

Background:

Recent research identified diverse nerve fiber diameters in the human optic nerve.
Understanding age-related changes in optic nerve fibers is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate age-related structural and cellular changes in human optic nerve fibers.
To evaluate alterations in optic nerve morphology and composition with aging.

Main Methods:

Analysis of 50 male cadaveric optic nerves from young (18-22 years) and older (68-76 years) adults.
Morphologic, histochemical, and immunohistochemical staining of optic nerve segments.
Quantitative morphometric analysis, glial cell counting, and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) assessment.

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Main Results:

Older individuals exhibited increased optic nerve diameter and area, linked to the optic nerve:meningeal membrane ratio.
A significant increase in astrocytes and GFAP-immunoreactive area was observed in older subjects.
A decrease in the mean number of large-diameter nerve fibers (>4 µm) was noted in the older group, with no change in protein content.

Conclusions:

The human optic nerve undergoes significant changes with aging.
The optic nerve can serve as a valuable model for studying neuronal aging processes.