Table 2.
Pathological changes in the visual system in Alzheimer's disease
| Region | Change in Alzheimer's disease | References |
|---|---|---|
| Lens | Deposition of β-amyloid | 85 |
| Retina | Reduction in retinal ganglion cells, thinning of the nerve cell layer | 65,69,83,84 |
| Optic disc | Disc pallor, optic atrophy, disc cupping in the absence of open-angle glaucoma in some patients | 41,46 |
| Optic nerve | Decline in nerve axons, preferentially affecting the large-diameter axons (M cell pathway) | 62,84,86 |
| Lateral geniculate nucleus | Accumulation of lipofuscin, resistant to tangle (NFT) formation | 10 |
| Supra chiasmatic nucleus | Degeneration reported in some patients | 92 |
| Visual cortex | Rarely atrophic, myelin reduced in outer laminae, loss of pyramidal cells | 23,24,94,95 |
| B17 | Numerous cored senile plaques but few tangles | 23,24 |