Visual Pathway: With Dr. Craig Canby

Visual Pathway
With Dr. Craig Canby
Nicole Yatawara, nicoleyatawara@gmail.com

Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
© www.lecturio.com | This document is protected by copyright.
Eyeball
Passage of Light

Paulsen and Waschke, Atlas of Human
© www.lecturio.com Anatomy,
| This 15th
document is edition,
protectedElsevier GmbH 2011
by copyright.
Eyeball
Passage of Light
Cornea
Pupil Aqueous humor
Lens
Vitreous humor
Retina

Nicole Yatawara, Anatomy, 15th edition, Elsevier GmbH 2011
nicoleyatawara@gmail.com
Retina
Major Layers and Optic Nerve
• Pigment epithelium
• Photoreceptors
• Bipolar cells
• Ganglion cells
• Optic nerve Photoreceptors

Retina
Photoreceptors
• Rods
• Cones
Madhero88, Rod Cell,

Nicole https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cone2.svg
Yatawara, nicoleyatawara@gmail.com
Retina
Photoreceptors
• Rods
• Cones
Ivo Kruusamägi, Cone

Nicole Cell, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cone_cell_en.png
Cones
Functions
• Bright light
• Color vision (red, green, and blue cones)
• High visual acuity
• Loss causes legal blindness
Ivo Kruusamägi, Cone

Nicole Cell, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cone_cell_en.png
Rods
Functions
• Low light vision
• Poor visual acuity
• Achromatic vision
• Loss causes night blindness
Madhero88, Rod Cell,

Nicole https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cone2.svg
Retina
Retinal Detachment
• Separation of neural retina from pigment

epithelium
• Blood supply to photoreceptor cells is

disrupted
• Shower of pepper or floaters are visual

sensations extravasated RBCs

Pupillary Light Reflex
Neural Circuitry
Pretectal area
Right Left
• Light in left eye

Edinger-Westphal
• Ganglion retinal cells nucleus
• Optic nerve to pretectal area
• Bilateral innervation of Edinger-

Westphal nucleus

Pupillary Light Reflex
Neural Circuitry
Pretectal area
Right Left
• Parasympathetic fibers travel to

ciliary ganglion
Edinger-Westphal
• Thence, fibers innervate sphincter nucleus
muscle
Oculomotor
• Direct and consensual light
nerve
reflexes
Ciliary
ganglion
Accommodation
Mechanism
Edinger-Westphal
nucleus
Oculomotor
• Preganglionic parasympathetic fibers nerve
from Edinger-Westphal nucleus
Ciliary
• Conveyed in oculomotor nerve ganglion
• Synapse in ciliary ganglion

Accommodation
Mechanism
Edinger-Westphal
nucleus
• Postganglionic parasympathetic fibers Oculomotor

innervate ciliary muscle nerve
• Ciliary muscle contracts decreasing Ciliary

tension on suspensory ligaments ganglion
• Lens increases its convexity for near

vision

Visual Pathway
Retina to Primary Visual Cortex

Visual Pathway
• Temporal and nasal retina
• Temporal retina optic nerve fibers

travel ipsilaterally into optic tract
• Nasal retina optic nerve fibers

travel through optic chiasm into
contralateral optic tract
Miquel PerelloNicole
Nieto;Yatawara,
A simplified schema of the human visual pathway
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Human_visual_pathway.svg
Visual Pathway
• Most synapse in lateral geniculate

body (LGB)
• Some project to superior colliculi,

pretectal area, and suprachiasmatic
nucleus
• LGB neurons travel in the optic

radiations to the visual cortex in
Optic radiations
occiptal lobe
Miquel PerelloNicole
Nieto;Yatawara,
A simplified schema of the human visual pathway
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Human_visual_pathway.svg
Lesions
Entire Right Optic Nerve
• Loss of vision in right eye (anopia)
• Causes
• Trauma Lesion of right

N. opticus (II)
• Optic neuritis (blindness of
right eye)

Lesions
Partial Lesion of Left Optic Nerve
• Loss of left temporal retina and

blindness of left nasal visual field
(left nasal hemianopsia)
• Causes Partial lesion of

• Tumor left N. opticus (II)
(blindness of the
• Arterial dysfunction left nasal) visual
fields and loss
of the left
temporal retina)

Lesions
Lateral Portion of Right Optic Nerve at Optic Chiasm
Lesion in the
• Loss of right temporal retina and lateral portion of
blindness of right nasal visual field the right N.
(right nasal hemianopsia) opticus (II) at the
level of the
• Left upper temporal Chiasma opticum
quadrantanopsia (partial effect on (nasal fibers from
the left inferonasal fibers that have the right side have
crossed) already crossed
to the contralateral
• Cause side) (right nasal
hemianopsia and
• Aneuysmal compression by
left temporal
internal carotid artery
hemianopsia)

Lesions
Optic Chiasm
• Bitemporal hemianopsia
• Causes
• Pituitary tumor
• Craniopharyngioma
Median chiasma
lesion (bitemporal
hemianopsia)

Lesions
Right Optic Tract
• Left homonymous hemianopsia Lesion of

right
• Causes Tractus
opticus
• Tumor of temporal lobe (left-sided
homonymous
• Abscess of temporal lobe hemianopsia)

Lesions
Right Visual Tract
• Lesions of the upper optic radiations

Lesion of the
right upper optic
• Causes: parietal or occipital lobe tumor radiations
located anterior
in the temporal
lobe (left
homonymous
inferior quadrant
anopsia)
Lesions
Right Visual Tract
• Lesions of the lower optic radiations

( loop) Lesion of the
right visual tract
• Causes: temporal or occipital lobe tumor located anterior
in the temporal
lobe (left
homonymous
superior
quadrant
anopsia)
Lesions
Entire Visual Tract
• Left homonymous hemianopsia
• Causes
• Tumors
Lesion of the
• Arterial dysfunction complete right
visual tract (left-
• Trauma sided
homonymous
hemianopsia)

Summary
Visual Pathway
• Cones operate in bright light conditions

and are responsible for visual acuity and
color perception.
• Rods operate in dim light conditions and

are responsible for low light vision.
• Retinal detachment disrupts blood supply

to photoreceptors with extravasated RBCs
producing a shower of pepper or floaters.
• Glaucoma causes optic nerve damage

(cupping is observed).

Summary
Visual Pathway
• Intact pupillary reflex demonstrates direct

and consensual pupillary constrictions.
• Accommodation is a parasympathetic
response that increases lens convexity.
• Three neuron relay in visual pathway:

bipolar neuron, ganglionic neuron, thalamic
neuron.
• Lesions along this pathway produce

characteristic visual defects.

Attribution
Paulsen and Waschke:

Atlas of Human Anatomy, 15th edition, Elsevier
GmbH 2011

This document is a property of: Nicole Yatawara
Note: This document is copyright protected. It may not be copied, reproduced, used, or
distributed in any way without the written authorization of Lecturio GmbH.


Visual Pathway: With Dr. Craig Canby

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Visual Pathway: With Dr. Craig Canby

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Visual Pathway

With Dr. Craig Canby

Nicole Yatawara, nicoleyatawara@gmail.com

Nicole Yatawara, nicoleyatawara@gmail.com

Paulsen and Waschke, Atlas of Human

• Optic nerve Photoreceptors

Paulsen and Waschke, Atlas of Human

Madhero88, Rod Cell,

Ivo Kruusamägi, Cone

• Color vision (red, green, and blue cones)

• High visual acuity

• Loss causes legal blindness

Ivo Kruusamägi, Cone

• Low light vision

• Poor visual acuity

• Loss causes night blindness

Madhero88, Rod Cell,

• Separation of neural retina from pigment

• Blood supply to photoreceptor cells is

• Shower of pepper or floaters are visual

Paulsen and Waschke, Atlas of Human

• Light in left eye

• Optic nerve to pretectal area

• Bilateral innervation of Edinger-

Nicole Yatawara, nicoleyatawara@gmail.com

• Parasympathetic fibers travel to

• Synapse in ciliary ganglion

Paulsen and Waschke, Atlas of Human

• Postganglionic parasympathetic fibers Oculomotor

• Ciliary muscle contracts decreasing Ciliary

• Lens increases its convexity for near

Paulsen and Waschke, Atlas of Human

Nicole Yatawara, nicoleyatawara@gmail.com

• Temporal and nasal retina

• Temporal retina optic nerve fibers

• Nasal retina optic nerve fibers

• Most synapse in lateral geniculate

• Some project to superior colliculi,

• LGB neurons travel in the optic

• Loss of vision in right eye (anopia)

• Trauma Lesion of right

Paulsen and Waschke, Atlas of Human

• Loss of left temporal retina and

• Causes Partial lesion of

Paulsen and Waschke, Atlas of Human

Paulsen and Waschke, Atlas of Human

Paulsen and Waschke, Atlas of Human

• Left homonymous hemianopsia Lesion of

Paulsen and Waschke, Atlas of Human

• Lesions of the upper optic radiations

• Lesions of the lower optic radiations

• Left homonymous hemianopsia

Paulsen and Waschke, Atlas of Human

• Cones operate in bright light conditions

• Rods operate in dim light conditions and

• Retinal detachment disrupts blood supply

• Glaucoma causes optic nerve damage

Nicole Yatawara, nicoleyatawara@gmail.com

• Intact pupillary reflex demonstrates direct

• Three neuron relay in visual pathway:

• Lesions along this pathway produce

Nicole Yatawara, nicoleyatawara@gmail.com

Paulsen and Waschke: