Subcortical visual pathway may be a new way for early diagnosis of glaucoma

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, which is now viewed as a disease of brain with pathogenesis not fully understood. The main diagnostic methods are examining the retinal nerve fiber layer through optical coherence tomography and investigating visual field defect, but these methods present disadvantages in clinical practice. Studies have shown that patients with glaucoma often suffer negative emotion like anxiety and depression which is related to abnormal or reduced amygdala. Moreover, selective reduction of fMRI responses to transient achromatic stimuli in the superficial layer of the superior colliculus was found in the early glaucoma patients. By summarizing previous studies, we developed a hypothesis: superior colliculus-pulvinar-amygdala subcortical visual pathway may be involved in the incidence or progression of glaucoma. Validating this hypothesis would further clarify the mechanism of glaucoma and lead to the development of a more sensitive method for making an early diagnosis of glaucoma.