The Neurology go the Visual System Flashcards
Visual pathway
• transmits signal from eye to the visual cortex
• Visual Pathway Landmarks
– Eye
– Optic Nerve – Ganglion Nerve Fibres
– Optic Chiasm – Half of the nerve fibres cross here
– Optic Tract – Ganglion nerve fibres exit as optic tract
– Lateral Geniculate Nucleus – Ganglion nerve fibres synapse at Lateral Geniculate Nucleus
– Optic Radiation – 4th order neuron
– Primary Visual Cortex or Striate
Cortes – within the Occipital Lobe
– Extrastriate Cortex
Visual pathway in the Retina
• First Order Neurons – Rod and Cone Retinal Photoreceptors
• Second Order Neurons – Retinal Bipolar Cells
• Third Order Neurons – Retinal Ganglion Cells
– Optic Nerve (CN II)
– Partial Decussation at Optic
Chiasma – 53% of ganglion
fibres cross the midline – Optic Tract
– Destinations: • Lateral Geniculate Nucleus
(LGN) in Thalamus – to relay visual information to Visual Cortex
What is a receptive field of a neurone?
- “retinal space within which incoming light can alter the firing pattern of a neurone”
- similar to skin
What is the receptive field of a photoreceptor?
- ” a small circular space surrounding the photoreceptor”
What is the receptive field of a retinal ganglion cell?
Input from neighbouring photoreceptors (convergence)
What is convergence of receptive fields?
- Number of lower order neurones field synapsing on the same higher order neurone
- Cone system convergence > rod system convergence
- central retina convergence > peripheral retina convergence
What are the consequences of low vs. high convergence of receptive fields?
Low Convergence
– Small Receptive Field
– Fine Visual Acuity
– Low Light Sensitivity
High Convergence
– Large Receptive Field
– Coarse Visual Acuity
– High Light Sensitivity
What categories can retinal ganglion cells be subdivided into?
On-centre and off-centre
On-centre ganglion cells
– stimulated by light at the centre of the
– Inhibited by light on the edge of the receptive field
Off-centre ganglion cells
– Inhibited by light at the centre of the receptive field
– Stimulated by light on the edge of the receptive field
What are on- and off-ganglions important for?
- contrast sensitivity
- enhanced edge detection
- relative: balance between parts of the retina that are firing and parts that are not firing.
How do lesions anterior to and posterior to the optic chasm present?
- anterior: affect visual field in one eye
- posterior: affect visual field in both eyes
What fraction of ganglion fibres cross at the optic chiasm?
53%
Optic chiasm - crossed vs. uncrossed fibres?
- Crossed Fibres – originating from nasal retina, responsible for temporal visual field
- Uncrossed Fibres – originating from temporal retina, responsible for nasal visual field
What are the consequences of a lesion at the optic chiasm?
– Damages crossed ganglion fibres from nasal retina in both eyes
– Temporal Field Deficit in Both Eyes – Bitemporal Hemianopia
What are the consequences of lesions posterior to the optic chiasm?
– Right sided lesion – Left Homonymous Hemianopia in Both Eyes
– Left sided lesion – Right Homonymous Hemianopia in Both Eyes
Homonymous heimanopia
- the same side of visual field is affected on both eyes (e.g. you cannot see the right so side meaning medial in left eye and lateral in right eye)
- caused by lesions posterior to the optic chiasm
Monocular blindness
- due to lesion anterior to the optic chiasm on the affected side
Bitemporal hemianopia
- caused by lesions at the optic chiasm
- e.g. (suprasellar) pituitary tumor >10mm
- causes loss of lateral / temporal vision fields on both sides
Right nasal hemianopia
- caused by lesion affecting uncrossed fibres on the affected side
What visual field does the right/left side of the brain process?
- Right side of the brain processes the left field of view
- Left side of the brain processes the right field of view
=> contralateral
Homonymous hemianopia
- loss of vision fiel on one side (e.g. right or left)
- lesion posterior to the optic chiasm affecting the crossed and uncrossed fibres
- the further back the lesion is the smaller the defect is.
- “postchiasmatic lesion”
Quadrant anopia
- lesion of optic radiation
- can be caused by lesions in temporal or parietal lobes but is most commonly caused by lesions in the occipital lobe
- the further back the lesion the smaller the visual defect is
Macular sparing
- lesion at the back, almost at the occipital cortex
- unless the injury is very massive, a part of the central vision will always be spared (there is dual blood supply to the area of the cortex that represents the macula from posterior cerebral arteries on both sides.)
Visual defects affecting horizontal and vertical line
- most visual field defects that affect something across a horizontal line (superior or inferior) is usually an eye problem e.g. glaucoma
- most visual fields affectecting sides of the vertical line are caused due to neurological defects.
What are the causes of homonymous Hemianopia?
- most commonly stroke (cerebrovascular accident)
Where is the primary visual cortex located?
- situated along the Calcarine sulcus within occipital lobe
- also known as the striate complex
- Characterized by a distinct stripe derived from the myelinated fibre of the Optic Radiation projecting into the Visual Cortex