A Window to the Brain: Research in Neuro-Ophthalmology—Focus on The Retina

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Sensory and Motor Neuroscience".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2025) | Viewed by 186

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Goldschleger Eye Research Institute, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
Interests: axons; central nervous system; cornea; optic nerve; eye; retina
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue intends to present a collection of manuscripts to provide a broad view of recent discoveries related to the retina.

The retina is the only part of the eye that cannot be replaced by any organic or artificial implant and still give a person the same image of the world that surrounds them. We must remember that the retina collects all the information from the external space that surrounds us and transmits the data to the brain via a rich bundle of 1.5 million axons, the optic nerve. There is still a great challenge in taking care of the health of the retina. Many occupations risk damage to the retina. There are also many genetic diseases that assault the retina and are without a cure.

Researchers are working hard to discover and resolve the metabolic deficits of the retina, prevent degenerative diseases of the retina, and create optical and electronic devices to improve sight in people with poor vision.

Clinicians are aiming to invent devices for treating diseases, such as glaucoma implants, mini implants, and sub-retinal implants, and improving retinal detachment surgeries.

We invite contributions describing all aspects of the retina, including papers focusing on methodological advancements and reports presenting new datasets. Original research articles and review articles are highly encouraged.

Dr. Arieh S Solomon
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • morphology
  • electrophysiology
  • biochemistry
  • metabolic
  • autoimmune
  • vascular
  • degenerative
  • glaucoma
  • genetic
  • myopia
  • strabismus
  • intraocular implants
  • sub retinal implants
  • external optical devices
  • imaging
  • medications

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

14 pages, 268 KB  
Review
Beyond the Eye: Glaucoma and the Brain
by Marco Zeppieri, Federico Visalli, Mutali Musa, Alessandro Avitabile, Rosa Giglio, Daniele Tognetto, Caterina Gagliano, Fabiana D’Esposito and Francesco Cappellani
Brain Sci. 2025, 15(9), 934; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15090934 - 28 Aug 2025
Abstract
Glaucoma is traditionally classified as an ocular disease characterized by progressive retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss and optic nerve damage. However, emerging evidence suggests that its pathophysiology may extend beyond the eye, involving trans-synaptic neurodegeneration along the visual pathway and structural changes within [...] Read more.
Glaucoma is traditionally classified as an ocular disease characterized by progressive retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss and optic nerve damage. However, emerging evidence suggests that its pathophysiology may extend beyond the eye, involving trans-synaptic neurodegeneration along the visual pathway and structural changes within central brain regions, including the lateral geniculate nucleus and visual cortex. In this narrative review, we have used the phrase ‘brain involvement’ to underscore central changes that accompany or follow retinal ganglion cell loss; we have not intended to redefine glaucoma as a primary cerebral disorder. Neuroimaging studies and neurocognitive assessments in adult glaucoma patients, primarily older individuals with primary open-angle glaucoma reveal that glaucoma patients may exhibit alterations in brain connectivity and cortical thinning, aligning it more closely with neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. This evolving neurocentric perspective raises important questions regarding shared mechanisms—such as mitochondrial dysfunction, chronic inflammation, and impaired axonal transport—that may link glaucomatous optic neuropathy to central nervous system (CNS) pathology. These insights open promising therapeutic avenues, including the repurposing of neuroprotective and neuroregenerative agents, targeting not only intraocular pressure (IOP) but also broader CNS pathways. Furthermore, neuroimaging biomarkers and brain-targeted interventions may play a future role in diagnosis, prognosis, and individualized treatment. This review synthesizes current evidence supporting glaucoma as a CNS disease, explores the mechanistic overlap with neurodegeneration, and discusses the potential clinical implications of glaucoma within a neuro-ophthalmologic paradigm. Full article
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