Primary visual cortex of the brain is associated with optic nerve head changes in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the association between the primary visual cortex in the brain and optic nerve head changes, ONH, (structural thickness and microvascular changes) in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD).

METHODS

Nineteen patients who were aquaporin-4 (AQP-4) seropositive NMOSD patients and twenty-two healthy controls (HC) were enrolled for this cross-sectional study. Optical coherence tomographic angiography (OCT-A) was used to image and measure the capillaries density (RPC, radial peripapillary capillaries) and structural thickness (pRNFL, peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer) around the optic nerve head. A resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to image and evaluate the gray matter volume (GMV) and functional connectivity (FC) the brain of each participant. We assessed the primary visual cortex (lingual gyrus, calcarine sulcus and thalamus) of the brain.

RESULTS

Changes in RPC density showed a significant association (P < 0.05) with FC of the right lingual gyrus, bilateral calcarine gyrus and left thalamus respectively. pRNFL thickness showed significant association with FC of the right lingual gyrus (Rho = 0.374, P = 0.016), right calcarine gyrus (Rho = 0.355, P = 0.023) and left thalamus (Rho = 0.376, P = 0.015) respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Visual impairment, structural and microvascular changes around optic nerve head is associated with the functional visual networks in NMOSD. Our report suggests that structural and microvascular changes around the ONH reflect the changes in the primary visual cortex of the brain.