Brain networks reorganization and functional disability in glaucoma

Glaucoma is an optic neuropathy characterized by progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells with associated structural and functional changes of the optic nerve head and retinal nerve fiber layer. However, recent studies employing advanced neuroimaging techniques confirmed that glaucomatous damage is not limited to the eye but extends to the brain, affecting it also beyond the central visual pathways and disrupting brain network organization. We therefore posit that, while visual field changes play an important role in glaucoma-induced disability, central nervous pathways and mechanisms may play an important role in sustaining functional and daily living disability caused by the disease. Here we to summarize the current state of the art on the involvement of central brain circuits and possibly related disabilities in patients with glaucoma.