OPTIC PATHWAYS

DR. TARAKESHWARI
• PROCESSING AND TRANSMISSION OF VISUAL
IMPULSE IN VISUAL PATHWAY
• The retina relays the visual information to the
brain via visual pathway, which comprises
• the optic nerve,
• optic chiasma,
• optic tract,
• geniculate body and
• optic radiations.
• Visual fibers also pass to several older areas of the
brain
• (1) from the optic tracts to the suprachiasmatic
nucleus, to control circadian rhthym;
• (2) into the pretectal nuclei , to elicit reflex
movements of the eyes to focus on objects of
importance and to activate the pupillary light reflex;
• (3) into the superior colliculus, to control rapid
directional movements of the two eyes; and
• (4) into the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus , to
help control some of the body’s behavioral
functions.
• The visual pathways can be divided into an
old system to the midbrain and base of the
forebrain.
• A new system for direct transmission of
visual signals into the visual cortex located in
the occipital lobes.
• In humans, the new system is responsible for
perception of virtually all aspects of visual
form, colors, and other conscious vision.
• 1. Optic nerve
• Axons of the retinal ganglion cells and carry
the total output of retina.
• Arrangement of nerve fibres in the optic nerve
head and distal region of the optic nerve same
as retina.
• Macular fibres, which form papillomacular
bundle pass straight in the temporal part of
optic disc.
• Temporal fibres of retina arch above and
below the papillomacular bundle as superior
and inferior arcuate fibres and occupy upper
temporal and lower temporal quadrants of the
optic disc.
• Nasal fibres of retina come directly to the
nasal half of the disc as superior and inferior
radiating fibres.
• 2. Optic chiasma.
• Fibres originating from the nasal halves of the
retinae decussate at the chiasma while the fibres
from temporal halve of retinae remain uncrossed.
• Nasal and temporal halves of retina are
demarcated by a vertical line passing through the
fovea and not through the optic disc.
• This implies that visual impulse from the temporal
half goes to the opposite side.
• The input from the nasal half of the visual remains
in the same side.
• 3. Optic tracts.
• i) A majority of fibers run outwards and
backwards to end in the lateral geniculate
body (LGB).
• ii) Few fibers enter the superior colliculus;
synapse with pretectal nucleus & serve as a
center of visual reflexes.
• They consist of temporal fibres of the same
side and nasal fibres of the opposite side.
• 4. Lateral geniculate bodies
• These are oval structures situated at the
posterior termination of the optic tracts.
• Retinotopic projection.
• The optic tract fibres, project a detailed spatial
representation of the retina on the lateral
geniculate body, with precise point-to-point
localization.
• Lamellar structure of lateral geniculate body.
Each LGB contains six well-defined layers.
• On each side, layers 1,4 and 6 receive input
from the nasal half of the contralateral eye.
• Layers 2, 3 and 5 receive input from the
temporal half of the ipsilateral eye.
• In each layer, there is precise point-to-point
representation of the retina.
• Magnocellular and parvocellular layers.
• The layers 1 and 2 of LGB have large cells and
are called magnocellular layers.
• Layers 3–6 have small cells and are called
parvocellular layers.
• The inputs to magnocellular layer come from
the M ganglion cells of retinae, while inputs to
parvocellular layer come from the P ganglion
cells of retinae.
• Functions of LGB.
• Two principal functions served by LGB are:
• 1. Relay station
• 2. Visual perception and to ‘gate’ the
transmission of signals
• 1. Relay station.
• Lateral geniculate body serves as a relay station.
• Relays the visual information from the ganglion
cells to the visual cortex via parvocellular and
magnocellular pathways.
• The relay function is very accurate.
• There is exact point-to-point transmission with a
high degree of spatial fidelity from the retina to
visual cortex.
• The signals from the two eyes are kept apart in
LGB.
• 2. Visual perception and to ‘gate’ the
transmission of signals.
• To control how much of the signals be
allowed to pass to the cortex.
• Only 10–20% of the input to the LGB comes
from the retina.
• The major inputs (80–90%) come as
corticofugal fibres from the primary visual
cortex and other brain regions.
• The feedback pathway from the visual cortex
are involved in the visual processing related to
the perception of orientation and motion. They
also control the flow of visual information from
the retina to the cortex.
• 5. Optic radiations
• The optic radiations are composed of axons of
the lateral geniculate relay cells, which project
to visual cortex on the same side.
• The optic radiations maintain a retinotopic
organization in their passage to visual cortex.
• Fields defects in lesions of visual pathway
• 1. Lesions of the optic nerve.
• Marked loss of vision or complete blindness
on the affected side.
• 2. Lesions through proximal part of the optic
nerve.
• Ipsilateral blindness, contralateral
hemianopia.
 3. Sagittal (central) lesions of the chiasma.
These are characterized by bitemporal
hemianopia.
• 4. Lateral chiasmal lesions.
• Binasal hemianopia .
• 5. Lesions of optic tract.
• These are characterized by homonymous
hemianopia .
• 6. Lesions of lateral geniculate body.
• These produce homonymous hemianopia.
• 7. Lesions of optic radiations.
• Their features vary depending upon the site of
lesion.
• Involvement of total optic radiations produces
complete homonymous hemianopia (sometimes
sparing the macula).
• Inferior quadrantic hemianopia (pie on the floor)
occurs in lesions of parietal lobe (containing
superior fibres of optic radiations).
• Superior quadrantic hemianopia (pie in the sky)
may occur following lesions of the temporal lobe
(containing inferior fibres of optic radiations).
• 8. Lesions of the visual cortex.
• Congruous homonymous hemianopia (usually
sparing the macula) is a feature of occlusion of
posterior cerebral artery supplying the
anterior part of occipital cortex.
• Congruous homonymous macular defect
occurs in lesions of the tip of the occipital
cortex following head injury or gun shot
injuries.
• 9. Lesions of visual area 18 and 19. The visual
sensibility remains intact but there is
disturbance in higher visual functions (visual
agnosia)