The Retina And Central Visual Pathways Flashcards
Describe the anatomy of and surrounding the retina
3. Retina Neural layer (deep to superficial): Axons of ganglion cells to optic nerve form nerve fibre layer Ganglion cells Amacrine cells Bipolar cells Horizontal cells Photoreceptors cells (cone and rod) Retinal pigment epithelium (prevents glare)
- Pigmented vascular layer - uvea(absorbs light, absence albinism)
Choroid deep to sclera and ciliary body and iris - Outermost Sclera surrounds eye
Slide 4 and 46
What is the difference between rod and cone photoreceptors cells?
Rods - peripheral vision, black and white, hide details
Cones - coloured, central, high acuity, provide vision in day/ bright light
What do horizontal cells do?
Lateral inhibition of light so prevents too many signals reaching the optic nerve
Describe the retina as can be seen on a fundoscopy
Fovea centre of macula circle lateral to optic disc
Retinal arterioles/ venues -> central retinal artery/ vein over optic disc
Slide 7
What can be seen on an optical coherence tomography?
Vitreous fluid
Nerve fibre layer with central fovea (dip- axons come off splayed creates a gap to penetrate centrally= highest acuity)
Retinal pigment epithelium in orange
Choroid
Describe the central visual pathway anatomy
See slide 10
What is the nasal visual field detected by? Where are they in relation to the body?
Temporal retinal fibres
Nasal visual field is medial visual field of both eyes
Temporal retinal fibres are lateral visual fibres
Where do the retinal fibres travel through?
(As optic nerve)
All through optic disc then nasal fibres decussate as chiasm (temporal fibres remain ipsilateral)
All through the optic tracts
all move through lateral geniculate nucleus (part of thalamus)
Optic radiations: Superior fibres go via parietal lobe (continuation of superior quadrant fibres = Baum’s loop)
Inferior fibres go through temporal lobe
(Continuation of inferior quadrant fibres = Meyer’s loop)
——->
Primary visual cortex ———>
Edinburgh Westphal nuclei
(As oculomotor nerve)
Which fibres make up each of the four quadrants of the eye?
Lateral superior and inferior quadrants = temporal fibres
Medial superior and inferior quadrants = nasal fibres
What is Baum’s loop?
Continuation of superior quadrant fibres (contralateral nasal and ipsilateral temporal) from lateral geniculate nucleus via parietal lobe to primary visual cortex
What is Meyer’s loop?
Continuation of inferior quadrant fibres (contralateral nasal and ipsilateral temporal) from lateral geniculate nucleus via temporal lobe to primary visual cortex
What are visual fields?
Relates to peripheral vision - total area in which objects can be seen in the peripheral vision as you focus your eyes on a central point.
Each eye has its own set which overlap to form our binocular vision - good for depth perception
Split into lateral temporal superior and inferior and
Medial nasal superior and inferior
But light travels in straight ,Ines so nasal fibres are responsible for our temporal field and temporal fibres for our nasal field
What is monocular blindness and describe its pathophysiology?
Lose the whole of one eyes vision caused by a lesion of the optic nerve
Temporal and nasal fibres on ipsilateral side affected (lesion before decussation)
So nasal and temporal visual fields are lost on ipsilateral side
E.g. left lesion leads to left eye total vision lost
Causes of monocular blindness
Optic neuritis Retinal vein occlusion Retinal artery occlusion Pituitary apoplexy Retinal detachment Optic nerve lesion
What is bitemporal hemianopia and what is it’s pathophysiology?
Loss of peripheral vision in both eyes = tunnel vision
Caused by damage to optic chiasm
Nasal fibres on both sides affected so both temporal visual fields are lost