Neurodegenerative analysis with fMRI for cognitive impairment in glaucoma disease

Glaucoma is chronic, progressive optic neuropathy characterised by optic disc retinal nerve fibre layer changes with corresponding visual field defects. It is the second leading cause of blindness globally. Dementia and glaucoma are both neurodegenerative conditions characterized by neuronal loss leading to cognitive and visual dysfunction, respectively. A variety of evidence exists linking the two diseases including structural signs, specifically degenerative changes within ganglion cells. The goal of this study is to employ improved analysis methods functional MRI to evaluate changes not only in the optic tract, optic radiation, and primary visual cortex in glaucomatous patients but also in other cortex area. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) is commonly employed to study changes in functional brain connectivity. The aim of this project is to evaluated alteration of functional brain networks in glaucomatous patients, and examine the association between neurocognitive status, fMRI parameters and other diagnostic test that will lead to better understanding of possible mechanistic connections between aging and neurodegenerative conditions of the optic nerve and the brain.