MINI REVIEW article
Front. Cell Dev. Biol.
Sec. Molecular and Cellular Pathology
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcell.2025.1588561
This article is part of the Research TopicFrom Eye to Brain: Clinical and Pathological Implications of Ocular DisordersView all 5 articles
Beyond Vision Loss: The Impact of Glaucoma on the Brain
Provisionally accepted
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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Glaucoma, a leading cause of irreversible blindness, is characterized by optic disc cupping and retinal ganglion cell (RGC) degeneration. Recent research highlights the broader impacts of glaucoma on the brain. Transsynaptic neural degeneration extends the RGC damage through the visual pathway and various other regions in the brain, leading to structural and functional changes. These neurodegenerative effects may result in cognitive impairment, affecting patients' daily activities and quality of life. Understanding the connection between glaucoma, the brain, and cognition is essential for intervention and developing comprehensive treatment strategies that address visual and neurological impairments, ultimately improving patient outcomes. This review examines the existing literature on the links between glaucoma pathology and the brain and explores the impacts on cognition and quality of life.
Keywords: Glaucoma, neural degeneration, cognitive impairment, optic disc, retinal ganglion cell
Received: 06 Mar 2025; Accepted: 21 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Hamilton and Kalisch. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Bettina Elizabeth Kalisch, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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