TY - JOUR
T1 - Patterns of retinal ganglion cell damage in neurodegenerative disorders
T2 - Parvocellular vs magnocellular degeneration in optical coherence tomography studies
AU - Morgia, Chiara La
AU - di Vito, Lidia
AU - Carelli, Valerio
AU - Carbonelli, Michele
N1 - Ricercatori distaccati presso IRCCS a seguito Convenzione esclusiva con Università di Bologna (La Morgia Chiara, Carelli Valerio)
PY - 2017/12/22
Y1 - 2017/12/22
N2 - Many neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), are characterized by loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) as part of the neurodegenerative process. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) studies demonstrated variable degree of optic atrophy in these diseases. However, the pattern of degenerative changes affecting the optic nerve (ON) can be different. In particular, neurodegeneration is more evident for magnocellular RGCs in AD and multiple system atrophy with a pattern resembling glaucoma. Conversely, in PD and Huntington's disease, the parvocellular RGCs are more vulnerable. This latter pattern closely resembles that of mitochondrial optic neuropathies, possibly pointing to similar pathogenic mechanisms. In this review, the currently available evidences on OCT findings in these neurodegenerative disorders are summarized with particular emphasis on the different pattern of RGC loss. The ON degeneration could become a validated biomarker of the disease, which may turn useful to follow natural history and possibly assess therapeutic efficacy.
AB - Many neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), are characterized by loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) as part of the neurodegenerative process. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) studies demonstrated variable degree of optic atrophy in these diseases. However, the pattern of degenerative changes affecting the optic nerve (ON) can be different. In particular, neurodegeneration is more evident for magnocellular RGCs in AD and multiple system atrophy with a pattern resembling glaucoma. Conversely, in PD and Huntington's disease, the parvocellular RGCs are more vulnerable. This latter pattern closely resembles that of mitochondrial optic neuropathies, possibly pointing to similar pathogenic mechanisms. In this review, the currently available evidences on OCT findings in these neurodegenerative disorders are summarized with particular emphasis on the different pattern of RGC loss. The ON degeneration could become a validated biomarker of the disease, which may turn useful to follow natural history and possibly assess therapeutic efficacy.
KW - Alzheimer's disease
KW - Glaucoma
KW - Huntington's disease
KW - Multiple system atrophy
KW - Optic nerve
KW - Optical coherence tomography
KW - Parkinson's disease
KW - Retinal ganglion cells
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U2 - 10.3389/fneur.2017.00710
DO - 10.3389/fneur.2017.00710
M3 - Short survey
C2 - 29312131
AN - SCOPUS:85039545942
VL - 8
JO - Frontiers in Neurology
JF - Frontiers in Neurology
SN - 1664-2295
IS - DEC
M1 - 710
ER -