Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Cerebral Connectivity and Volume in Neurodegeneration and Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disease characterised by a progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells, typical optic neuropathy with a loss of visual field and visual function. High intraocular pressure is it's main risk factor, but the patophysiology hasn't been clearely understood, as there exist forms with normal ocular pressure (NTG - normal tension glaucoma) or mixed forms. Studies have shown that the degeneration is not limited to retinal ganglion cells only, but rather it affects the whole visual pathway including the occipital cortex. The ENVOL study has been able to show microstructural alterations of the optic radiations in glaucoma. Furthermore, glaucomatous patients have been found to be more at risk of developing other neurodegenerative diseases, namely Alzheimer's disease. The EVOLUTION study is set to repeat 3T brain MRI in patients previously enrolled in ENVOL in order to compare brain microstructure between glaucomatous and matched healthy subjects, assess their ocular status and glaucoma progression over time, as well as compare them with orignal imagery from 10 years prior. gression over time, as well as compare them with orignal imagery from 10 years prior. Study subjects will undergo a typical non-invasive ophthalmic screening comprised of best-corrected visual acuity testing, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, gonioscopy, indirect opthalmoscopy, fundus photography, 30° visual field testing and optical coherence tomography of the optic nerve. They will also answer a questionnaire concerning their medical treatment, cardiovascular health and tobacco use. Next, they will undergo a 3T brain MRI comprised of a T1-weighted 3D morphological sequence, 3D FLAIR, resting state fMRI and diffusion tensor imaging. fMRI and diffusion tensor imaging