Altered whole-brain gray matter volume in high myopia patients: a voxel-based morphometry study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Ophthalmology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• High myopia (HM) is associated with impaired long-distance vision.
• Previous studies suggest abnormal visual experience in HM affects brain activity.
• Structural brain alterations in HM remain largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate differences in whole-brain gray matter volume (GMV) and white matter volume between HM patients and healthy controls (HCs).
• To explore the relationship between GMV and clinical features in HM patients.

Main Methods:

• Voxel-based morphology analysis of MRI scans from 82 HM patients and 58 HCs.
• Comparison of GMV and white matter volume between groups.
• Pearson's correlation analysis between GMV and clinical features (refractive diopter, retinal nerve fiber layer thickness).

Main Results:

• HM patients exhibited decreased GMV in the right cuneus/lingual gyrus and right thalamus compared to HCs.
• HM patients showed increased GMV in the brain stem, bilateral parahippocampal gyrus/thalamus, and bilateral putamen.
• No significant differences in white matter volume were found; retinal nerve fiber layer thickness negatively correlated with GMV in several brain regions.

Conclusions:

• High myopia is associated with significant alterations in brain structure, affecting visual pathway and limbic system regions.
• These structural changes may underlie the neural mechanisms of impaired vision in high myopia.
• Findings highlight the brain's plasticity in response to visual conditions.