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The Visual Pathway Opthalmology Lecture

The visual pathway consists of several components: the retina, optic nerve, optic chiasm, optic tract, lateral geniculate body, optic radiations, and visual cortex. The retina contains photoreceptors that detect light and bipolar and ganglion cells that transmit signals to the optic nerve. The optic nerve crosses at the optic chiasm, with nasal fibers crossing to the opposite side. The lateral geniculate body relays signals to the primary visual cortex via the optic radiations. Key visual reflexes like the pupillary light reflex and accommodation reflex involve pathways through the pretectal nucleus and other structures. Damage to different parts of the visual pathway can cause deficits like hemianopia.

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Jaikrit Singh
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54 views15 pages

The Visual Pathway Opthalmology Lecture

The visual pathway consists of several components: the retina, optic nerve, optic chiasm, optic tract, lateral geniculate body, optic radiations, and visual cortex. The retina contains photoreceptors that detect light and bipolar and ganglion cells that transmit signals to the optic nerve. The optic nerve crosses at the optic chiasm, with nasal fibers crossing to the opposite side. The lateral geniculate body relays signals to the primary visual cortex via the optic radiations. Key visual reflexes like the pupillary light reflex and accommodation reflex involve pathways through the pretectal nucleus and other structures. Damage to different parts of the visual pathway can cause deficits like hemianopia.

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Jaikrit Singh
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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THE VISUAL PATHWAY

Dr Senata Tinaiseru
Advanced Eye and Ear Care
INTRODUCTION
• Most important special
sense in humans.
Components:
• A. Retina
• B. Optic nerve and optic
chiasm.
• C. Optic tract
• D. Lateral geniculate
body (of the thalamus).
• E. Optic radiations F.
Visual cortex
Regional Anatomy of the Visual System: Retinal
structure
• Outer layer:
photoreceptors- rods (night
vision) and cones (for
daylight and colour,
densest just around the
fovea)
• Middle layer: bipolar
neurons: horizontal (more
superficial) and amacrine
(deeper). Both perform
lateral interactions, which
enhance visual contrast.
• Inner layer: ganglion cells.
OPTIC NERVE AND OPTIC CHIASM
• Ganglion cell axons
(which are clear and
unmyelinated, while
running along the inner
surface of the retina)
gather together and
exit at the optic disk,
where they become
myelinated and form
the optic nerve.
• Optic nerves from both
eyes converge at optic
chiasm: partial cross-over.
• Images in the nasal
hemiretina from both sides
cross over (temporal stay
ipsilateral).
• This allows for complete
cross-over of each visual
field.
• The right visual field maps
on the left visual cortex and
vice versa
LATERAL GENICULATE BODY
• A nucleus in the thalamus,
which projects to the 1°
visual cortex and serves
visual perception.
• - This body is the site of
termination of all optic nerve
fibres except few which
reach and relay in the
pretectal region and superior
colliculus of Midbrain.
• - Consists of 6 lamina.
Contralateral retina – 1,4,6
Ipsilateral retina – 2,3,5
OPTIC RADIATIONS AND PROJECTIONS TO THE PRIMARY VISUAL
CORTEX

• Meyer’s Loop: course


anterior for a short
distance in order to
move over the lateral
ventricles.
• 1° cortex, in columnar
fissure, is also
Brodman’s Area 17.
NEURAL PATHWAY FOR VISION

• Ist order sensory neurons –


Arise from the bipolar cells of
the retina.
• II nd order neurons are the
Multipolar neurons whose
axons run along the optic
nerve to the optic chiasma
• Nasal fibres – Cross to
opposite side and terminate
in LGB of opposite side.
• Temporal fibres – Doesn’t
cross and terminates in
ipsilateral LGB.
• The cell bodies of III
order sensory neurons
are located in LGB.
• Their axons form optic
radiation which project
into the visual cortex.
VISUAL REFLEXES

• Light reflex or pupillary


reflex: When light is shown
to one eye, normally the
pupils of both eyes
constrict.
• Direct light reflex: The
constriction of pupils upon
which light is shown is
called direct light reflex.
• Indirect or consensual: The
constriction of pupil on the
other eye even though no
light is shown.
PATHWAYS FOR VISUAL REFLEX
• Light stimulus
• Optic nerve
• Optic tract
• Pretectal nucleus
• Edinger-Westphal
nucleus
• Oculomotor nerve
• Ciliary ganglion
• Sphincter pupillae
( through short ciliary
nerves)
ACCCOMODATION REFLEX
• When the eyes are
focussed from a distant to
near object, three reactions
take place
• 1. Constriction of pupils
• 2. thickening of lens due to
contraction of ciliary
muscles
• 3. Convergence of both
eye balls These three
reactions together
constitute Accomodation or
near reflex
CLINICAL CORRELATION
• Loss of vision in one half
of the visual field (Rt or
Lt) is termed as
hemianopia.
• Homonymous
hemianopia: Loss of
vision in the same halves
of the visual field.
• Heteronymous
Hemianopia: Loss of
vision in the different
halves of the visual field.
ARGYL ROBERTSON PUPIL
• Lesion in pretectal nucleus in
Midbrain produces loss of
pupillary reflex.
• As a result pupillary
constriction in response to
light is lost.
• But accomodation reflex is
present, as it passes through
frontal eye field (area 8) via
the superior longitudinal
fasciculus.
• Such pupil is known as
ARGYL REBERTSON PUPIL
THANK YOU

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