Visual Pathways Flashcards
These convert light energy into a neuronal signal via the release of NT in a processes known as phototransduction
Photoreceptors
Specialized for vision in dim light (motion detection) and dominate the midperipheral and peripheral retina
Rods
Responsible fo day time vision and diffrentailly sensitive to particular wavelengths of light
Cones
Where are cones most populated
Macula
Where are there only cones
Very center of macula
Where are there no rods
Very center of macula
The signal from the photoreceptors are passes on to the ____________ and modified
Retinal internuerons (bipolar cells, Amacrine cells, and horizontal cells)
Located between the receptor cell layer and the bipolar cell layer. Their processes lie parallel to the plane of the retina. Lateral processing of information between cells
Horizontal cells
Receive inputs from photoreceptor cell and project to ganglion cells
Bipolar cells
Located between the bipolar cell layer and the ganglion cell layer. These cells modulate activity between the two layers
Amacrine cells
Internuerons relay the signal to the _______, the output cells of the retina
Retinal ganglion cells
Encoding aspects of visual information such as color, image velocity, movement direction, and contrast
Subsets of retinal ganglion cells will selectively encode aspects of visual information such as color, image velocity, movement direction, acuity, and contrast. The ganglion cells are encoding these aspects of vision simultaneously, but through separate channels.
The retinal ganglion cells send their output via axons that collectively will form the ________ to communicate with the brain
Optic nerve
Axons of the nerve fiber layer at the optic disc
The axons of the nerve fiber layer make a 90 degree turn in the retina at the optic disc and will exit the eye as the optic nerve.
When do the axons of the nerve fiber layer get myelinated
After they exit the eye.
Where do 90% of the axonal fibers synapse from the optic nerve
In the LGN
Where do 10% of the axonal fibers from the optic nerve go
Project to areas involved with pupil responses and circadian rhythm
What kind of VF loss results from a complete transaction of the optic nerve
Complete loss of vision in that eye
The optic nerves continue posteriorly giving rise to a rectangular structure, the __________
Optic chiasm
What happens on the optic chiasm
Visual information from the right and the left eye will cross to the contralateral side of the visual system
How does the visual pathway continue after the optic chiasm
Optic tract
What fibers cross to the contralateral side at the optic chiasm
The nasal retinal fibers. The temporal fibers remain in ipsilateral tract and do not cross over
What lies above the optic chiasm
3rd ventricle
What lies below the optic chiasm
Pituitary gland
What is the significance of a pituitary adenoma to the visual system
The gland will enlarge and compress the optic chiasm that usually will cause visual deficits seen on VF tests as a bitemporal hemianopsia
What is the visual field defect that typically results from a pituitary adenoma
Bitemporal hemianopsia
What kind of VF deficit will result from an internal carotid aneurysm
Binasal hemianopsia
Why does the an aneurysm on one ICA cause compression on both sides of the optic chiasm
It may compress the temporal fibers of the optic chiasm. In doing so, the optic chiasm is often displaced and compressed against the contralateral ICA, which in turn compresses the temporal fibers on that same side
This is a flat band that extends from the posterolateral corners of the optic chiasm to the LGN
Optic tract
90% of all fibers from the optic tract synapse where
LGN
10% of the fibers from the optic tract synapse where?
In other structures. The afferent pupillomotor reflex fibers will leave the optic tract before reaching the LGN and synapse in the pretectal nucleus of the midbrain
What kind of fibers are in each optic tract
Fibers from the temporal retina of the ipsilateral eye and fibers from the nasal retina of the contralateral eye
What kind of information do the temporal retinal fibers carry
Visual information regarding the nasal VF
What kind of information do the nasal retinal fibers carry
Visual information associated with the temporal VF
What is the VF deficit that would result from right optic tract transaction?
Left hemianopsia
Where is visual information from the optic tracts related
LGN
What is the largest and most important primary visual nucleus in humans
LGN
Where is the LGN located
In the dorsolateral aspect of the thalamus
This is a cone shaped structure that is multilaminar
LGN