A confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope (CSLO) was used to image the axonal and dendritic aborizations of RGCs in the Thy-1 YFP mice. With quantitative analysis of cell body area, axon diameter, dendritic field, number of terminal branches, total dendritic branch length, branching complexity, symmetry and distance from the optic disc, the morphologies of RGCs and the patterns of axonal and dendritic degeneration were analyzed. After optic nerve crush, RGC damage was observed prospectively to begin with progressive dendritic shrinkage, followed by loss of the axon and the cell body. Similar pattern of RGC degeneration was observed after 90 minutes of retinal ischemia although no morphological changes were detected when the duration of ischemia was shortened to 30 minutes. The rate of dendritic shrinkage was variable and estimated on average 2.0% per day and 11.7% per day with linear mixed modeling, after optic nerve crush and retinal ischemic injury, respectively. RGCs with a larger dendritic field had a slower rate of dendritic shrinkage. / In summary, we demonstrated that dendritic shrinkage could be evident even before axonal degeneration after optic nerve crush and retinal ischemic injury. We have established a methodology for in vivo and direct visualization of RGCs and retinal microglia, which could provide reliable and early markers for neuronal damage. Measuring the rate of dendritic shrinkage and tracking the longitudinal activation of microglia would provide new paradigms to study the mechanism of neurodegenerative diseases and offer new insights in testing novel therapies for neuroprotection. / Progressive neuronal cell death and microglial activation are the key pathological features in most neurodegenerative diseases. While investigating the longitudinal profiles of neuronal degeneration and microglial activation is pertinent to understanding disease mechanism and developing treatment, analyzing progressive changes has been obfuscated by the lack of a non-invasive approach that allows long term, serial monitoring of individual neuronal and microglial cells. Because of the clear optical media in the eye, direct visualization of the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and microglia is possible with high resolution in vivo imaging technique. In this study, we developed experimental models to visualize and characterize the cellular morphology of RGCs and retinal microglia in vivo in the Thy-1 YFP and the CX3CR1 +/GFP transgenic mice, described the patterns of axonal and dendritic shrinkage of RGCs, discerned the dynamic profile of microglial activation and investigated the relationship between RGC survival and microglial activation after optic nerve crush and retinal ischemic injury induced by acute elevation of intraocular pressure. / The longitudinal profile of microglial activation was investigated by imaging the CX3CR1GFP/+ transgenic mice with the CSLO. Activation of retinal microglia was characterized with an increase in cell number reaching a peak at a week after optic nerve crush and retinal ischemic injury, which was followed by a gradual decline falling near to the baseline at the 4 th week. The activation of retinal microglia was proportional to the severity of injury. The number of RGCs survival at 4 weeks post-injury was significantly associated with the number of activated retinal microglia. / Li, Zhiwei. / Adviser: Leung Kai Shun. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 73-02, Section: B, page: . / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 50-66). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [201-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese.

Objetivo: Estudar as medidas de espessura da camada de fibras nervosas da retina(CFNR) peripapilar obtidas com as tomografias de coerência óptia (oCT) time domain (TD) e spectral domain (SD) em pacientes com perda assimétrica glaucomatosa de hemicampo visual, compará-las entre si e com aquelas de controles normais. Métodos: Trinta e seis pacientes com glaucoma primário de ângulo aberto e perda de campo visual em um hemicampo (afetado) e ausência de perda no hemicampo oposto (não afetado), e 36 controles pareados por idade tiveram o olho de estudo examinado com Stratus-OCT (Carl Zeiss Meditec Inc., Dublin, Califoprnia, USA) e o 3DOCT-1000 (Topcdon, Tokyo, Japan). As medidas de espessura da CFNR peripapilar e a classificação normativa fornecida pelos aparelhos foram registrados para análise. A média aritmética dos valores do mapa total deviation em cada hemicampo (mean deviation do hemicampo) foi calculada para cada indivíduo. \"Ìndices de assimetria\" para o campo visual e para a CFNR foram calculados como a razão entre o mean deviation dos hemicampos afetado e não-afetado, e como razão entre a espessura da CFNR das hemirretinas afetada e não-afetada, respectivamente. As variáveis contínuas foram comparadas usando os testes de Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis ou Wilcoxon, quando apropriados. As variáveis categóricas foram comparadas usando o teste qui-quadrado de Pearson. O coeficiente de correlação de Spearman foi usado para testar as correlações entre as medidas de espessura da CFNR fornecidas pelos OCTs. A presença de afinamento da CFNR foi estabelecida com base nos dados normativos fornecidos pelos softwares dos OCTs. As espessuras de CFNR fora do intervalo de previsão de 95% para a mesma faixa etária foram consideradas anormais. Resultados: As medidas de CFNR corespondentes a hemicampos não-afetados [média (DP) 87,0 (17,1) um e 84,3 (20,2) um, para TD e SD-OCT, respectivamente] foram menores do que as dos controles [média (DP) 119,0 (122,2)um e 117,0 (17,7) um, para TD e SD-OCT, respectivamente, P < 0,001, para ambos]. O banco de dados normativo classificou como alterado 42% e 67% das hemirretinas correspondentes a hemicampos não-acometidos com TD e SD-OCT, respectivamente (P = 0,01). As medidas da CFNR foram consistentemente mais espessas com TD comparadas com SD-OCT. Os índices de assimetria da CFNR em pacientes com glaucoma foram semelhantes entre TD [média (DP) 0,76 (0,17)] e SD-OCT [média (DP) 0,79 (0,12), P = 0,89] e significantemente maiores do que o índice de assimetria do campo visual [média (DP) 0,36 (0,20), P < 0,001]. Conclusões: Os hemicampos normais de pacientes com glaucoma apresentaram CFNR mais fina do que de olhos saudáveis. As medidas da CFNR foram mais espessas com TD do que com SD-OCT, o qual por sua vez detectou anormalidades na espessura da CFNR mais frequentemente do que o TD-OCT / Objective: To study the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness measurements obtained with time domain (TD) and spectral domain (SD) optical coherence tomography (OCT) in glaucomatous patients with asymmetric visual hemifield loss, to compare themselves and with those obtained from normal controls. Methods : Thirty -six patients with primary open-angle glaucoma with visual primary open-angle glaucoma with visual field loss in one hemifield (affected ) and absence of loss in other (non-affected), and 36 age-matched healthy controls had the eye study imaged with Stratus-OCT (Carl Zeiss Meditec Inc., Dublin, Califoprnia, USA) and 3D OCT-1000 (Topcon , Tokyo, Japan). Peripapillary RNFL thickness measurements and normative classification were recorded for analysis. Total deviation values were averaged for each hemifield (hemifield mean deviation) for ecch subject. Visual field and RNFL \"asymmetry indexes\" were calculated as the ratio between the mean deviation of affected versus non-affected hemifields and RNFL thickness between as affected versus non-affected hemiretinas, respectively. Continuous variables were compared using the Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis or Wilcoxon tests, when appropriate. Categorical variables were compared using the Pearson\'s chi-square test. The Spearman\'s rank correlation coefficient was used to test correlations between RNFL thickness measurements provided by both OCTs . The presence of RNFL thinning was establised based on normative data provided by the OCT\'s software. The RNFL thicknesses outside the prediction interval of 95% for the same age group were considered abnormal. Results: The RNFL measurements in non-affected hemifields [mean (SD 87.0 (17.1) e 84.3(20.2) um, for TD and SD-OCT, respectively] were thinner than those of normal controls [mean (SD) 119.0 (12.2) um and 117.0 (17.7) um, for TD and SD-OCT, respectively, P < 0.001 for both ] . The OCT normative database classified 42 % and 67% of hemiretinas corresponding to non-affected hemifields as abnormal in TD and SD-OCT, respectively (P =0.01). The RNFL measurements were consistently thicker with TD compared with SD -OCT. The RNFL thickness asymetry index in patients with glaucoma was similar with TD [ mean (SD) 0.76 ( 0.17 ) ] and SD-OCT [ mean (SD)0.79(0.12), P = 0,89] and significantly greater than the visual field asymmetry index [ mean (SD ) 0.36 (0.20 ), P < 0.001]. Conclusions: Normal hemifields of glaucoma patients had thinner RNFL measurements than healthy eyes, as measured by TD and SD-OCT. The RNFL measurements were thicker with TD than SD-OCT, SD-OCT detected abnormal RNFL more often than TD-OCT

Objetivo: Estudar as medidas de espessura da camada de fibras nervosas da retina(CFNR) peripapilar obtidas com as tomografias de coerência óptia (oCT) time domain (TD) e spectral domain (SD) em pacientes com perda assimétrica glaucomatosa de hemicampo visual, compará-las entre si e com aquelas de controles normais. Métodos: Trinta e seis pacientes com glaucoma primário de ângulo aberto e perda de campo visual em um hemicampo (afetado) e ausência de perda no hemicampo oposto (não afetado), e 36 controles pareados por idade tiveram o olho de estudo examinado com Stratus-OCT (Carl Zeiss Meditec Inc., Dublin, Califoprnia, USA) e o 3DOCT-1000 (Topcdon, Tokyo, Japan). As medidas de espessura da CFNR peripapilar e a classificação normativa fornecida pelos aparelhos foram registrados para análise. A média aritmética dos valores do mapa total deviation em cada hemicampo (mean deviation do hemicampo) foi calculada para cada indivíduo. \"Ìndices de assimetria\" para o campo visual e para a CFNR foram calculados como a razão entre o mean deviation dos hemicampos afetado e não-afetado, e como razão entre a espessura da CFNR das hemirretinas afetada e não-afetada, respectivamente. As variáveis contínuas foram comparadas usando os testes de Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis ou Wilcoxon, quando apropriados. As variáveis categóricas foram comparadas usando o teste qui-quadrado de Pearson. O coeficiente de correlação de Spearman foi usado para testar as correlações entre as medidas de espessura da CFNR fornecidas pelos OCTs. A presença de afinamento da CFNR foi estabelecida com base nos dados normativos fornecidos pelos softwares dos OCTs. As espessuras de CFNR fora do intervalo de previsão de 95% para a mesma faixa etária foram consideradas anormais. Resultados: As medidas de CFNR corespondentes a hemicampos não-afetados [média (DP) 87,0 (17,1) um e 84,3 (20,2) um, para TD e SD-OCT, respectivamente] foram menores do que as dos controles [média (DP) 119,0 (122,2)um e 117,0 (17,7) um, para TD e SD-OCT, respectivamente, P < 0,001, para ambos]. O banco de dados normativo classificou como alterado 42% e 67% das hemirretinas correspondentes a hemicampos não-acometidos com TD e SD-OCT, respectivamente (P = 0,01). As medidas da CFNR foram consistentemente mais espessas com TD comparadas com SD-OCT. Os índices de assimetria da CFNR em pacientes com glaucoma foram semelhantes entre TD [média (DP) 0,76 (0,17)] e SD-OCT [média (DP) 0,79 (0,12), P = 0,89] e significantemente maiores do que o índice de assimetria do campo visual [média (DP) 0,36 (0,20), P < 0,001]. Conclusões: Os hemicampos normais de pacientes com glaucoma apresentaram CFNR mais fina do que de olhos saudáveis. As medidas da CFNR foram mais espessas com TD do que com SD-OCT, o qual por sua vez detectou anormalidades na espessura da CFNR mais frequentemente do que o TD-OCT / Objective: To study the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness measurements obtained with time domain (TD) and spectral domain (SD) optical coherence tomography (OCT) in glaucomatous patients with asymmetric visual hemifield loss, to compare themselves and with those obtained from normal controls. Methods : Thirty -six patients with primary open-angle glaucoma with visual primary open-angle glaucoma with visual field loss in one hemifield (affected ) and absence of loss in other (non-affected), and 36 age-matched healthy controls had the eye study imaged with Stratus-OCT (Carl Zeiss Meditec Inc., Dublin, Califoprnia, USA) and 3D OCT-1000 (Topcon , Tokyo, Japan). Peripapillary RNFL thickness measurements and normative classification were recorded for analysis. Total deviation values were averaged for each hemifield (hemifield mean deviation) for ecch subject. Visual field and RNFL \"asymmetry indexes\" were calculated as the ratio between the mean deviation of affected versus non-affected hemifields and RNFL thickness between as affected versus non-affected hemiretinas, respectively. Continuous variables were compared using the Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis or Wilcoxon tests, when appropriate. Categorical variables were compared using the Pearson\'s chi-square test. The Spearman\'s rank correlation coefficient was used to test correlations between RNFL thickness measurements provided by both OCTs . The presence of RNFL thinning was establised based on normative data provided by the OCT\'s software. The RNFL thicknesses outside the prediction interval of 95% for the same age group were considered abnormal. Results: The RNFL measurements in non-affected hemifields [mean (SD 87.0 (17.1) e 84.3(20.2) um, for TD and SD-OCT, respectively] were thinner than those of normal controls [mean (SD) 119.0 (12.2) um and 117.0 (17.7) um, for TD and SD-OCT, respectively, P < 0.001 for both ] . The OCT normative database classified 42 % and 67% of hemiretinas corresponding to non-affected hemifields as abnormal in TD and SD-OCT, respectively (P =0.01). The RNFL measurements were consistently thicker with TD compared with SD -OCT. The RNFL thickness asymetry index in patients with glaucoma was similar with TD [ mean (SD) 0.76 ( 0.17 ) ] and SD-OCT [ mean (SD)0.79(0.12), P = 0,89] and significantly greater than the visual field asymmetry index [ mean (SD ) 0.36 (0.20 ), P < 0.001]. Conclusions: Normal hemifields of glaucoma patients had thinner RNFL measurements than healthy eyes, as measured by TD and SD-OCT. The RNFL measurements were thicker with TD than SD-OCT, SD-OCT detected abnormal RNFL more often than TD-OCT