Adaptive Changes in the Retina and Central Visual Areas in Glaucoma

Glaucoma with or without elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) leads to the loss of retinal ganglion cells and the visual fields loss. Most studies of glaucomatous conditions have dealt with the pathophysiology within the retina. In many cases, retinal ganglion cell death continues after medical or surgical management of elevated IOP. Relatively little attention has been given to the functional consequences of the remaining retinal ganglion cells following normalized intraocular pressure. Here we review the studies dealing with loss of visual acuities and contrast sensitivities of the glaucomatous retina with changes that follow the dendritic arbors of remaining ganglion cells and compare with the adaptive changes observed in the terminal areas of the optic axons in the brain visual centers.