Altered whole-brain gray matter volume in primary angle closure glaucoma patients: a voxel-based morphometry study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Ophthalmology
• Radiology

Background:

• Primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) is a leading cause of irreversible blindness.
• Understanding the neuroanatomical underpinnings of PACG is crucial for developing effective treatments.
• Previous research has not fully elucidated the brain structural changes associated with PACG.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare whole-brain gray matter volume (GMV) and white matter volume (WMV) between PACG patients and healthy controls (HCs).
• To investigate the relationship between brain structure and clinical features like retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and psychological scores in PACG patients.

Main Methods:

• Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data.
• Analysis of 27 PACG patients and 27 matched HCs using SPM8 software.
• Pearson correlation analysis to assess relationships between GMV and clinical features.

Main Results:

• PACG patients showed significantly decreased GMV in the left cerebellum posterior lobe (CPL), right extra-nuclear, and right superior temporal gyrus.
• PACG patients exhibited significantly increased GMV in the left CPL, right CPL, right superior temporal gyrus, right thalamus, and right insula.
• Left and right RNFL thickness positively correlated with left CPL GMV in PACG patients. Hamilton depression scores positively correlated with right insula GMV.

Conclusions:

• PACG is associated with altered brain structures in regions critical for visuomotor function, thalamocortical pathways, and emotional processing.
• These structural brain changes may underlie vision loss and depression observed in PACG.
• The findings provide insights into the neural mechanisms of PACG and highlight potential targets for intervention.