Optic nerve disease and axon pathophysiology.

Abstract

Optic neuropathy is the most common cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. Although the most common optic neuropathy is glaucoma, there are also many other optic neuropathies, for example, those associated with multiple sclerosis, giant cell arteritis, ischemia, and many other diseases. In almost all cases, the pathogenesis involves injury to the retinal ganglion cell axon, with consequent somal and axonal degeneration. This chapter reviews the clinical and pathophysiological properties associated with three of the most common optic neuropathies, as well as recent findings in understanding axonal degeneration. It concludes with a status report on therapies for optic nerve disease, including axoprotection, an approach being studied that has the goal of maintaining axonal integrity and function after injury.

• Authors: Alireza Ghaffarieh, Leonard A Levin
• Journal: International review of neurobiology (Int Rev Neurobiol) Vol. 105 Pg. 1-17 ( 2012) ISSN: 2162-5514 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 23206593 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Neuroprotective Agents

Topics

• Animals
• Axons (drug effects, pathology, physiology)
• Glaucoma (drug therapy, pathology, physiopathology)
• Humans
• Nerve Degeneration (drug therapy, pathology, physiopathology)
• Neuroprotective Agents (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Optic Nerve Diseases (drug therapy, pathology, physiopathology)