Abstract #3284

Widespread Structural and Functional Brain Connectivity Changes and Behavioral Relevance in Glaucoma

Vivek Trivedi¹, Ji Won Bang¹, Carlos Parra¹, Max K. Colbert¹, Caitlin O'Connell^2,3, Muneeb A. Faiq¹, Ian P. Conner^3,4, Mark S. Redfern³, Gadi Wollstein¹, Joel S. Schuman¹, Rakie Cham^3,4, and Kevin C. Chan^1,5

¹Department of Ophthalmology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States, ²Department of Kinesiology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States, ³Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States, ⁴Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States, ⁵Department of Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide, yet its effects on the brain structure and function and the related behavioral relevance remain unclear. This study shows that glaucoma patients present reduced structural integrity in white matter around the supramarginal gyrus, as well as reduced functional connectivity between supramarginal gyrus and visual occipital and superior sensorimotor areas when compared to healthy controls. Furthermore, decreased functional connectivity between supramarginal gyrus and visual network was associated with changes in postural control. Taken together, our results suggest an involvement of altered brain coordination in the increased risk of falls in glaucoma patients.

This abstract and the presentation materials are available to members only; a login is required.

Join Here