Topic: Vision loss

Vision plays a crucial role in instructing the brain’s spatial navigation systems. In the absence of vision, the remaining sensory systems attempt to fill in the previously dominated role of vision. However, how the brain’s navigational system is affected, as well as the strategies it adapts to facilitate spatial awareness following vision loss remains an open question. To explore this, we recorded from head direction (HD) cells in the anterior dorsal nucleus (ADn) of the thalamus in freely moving sighted and blind animals. First, we found that both congenitally blind and late-onset blind anim

Most forms of induced and inherited retinal degeneration involve induction of neuroinflammation that is characterized by changes in Müller glia and microglia, and at least some of these changes accelerate vision loss in advanced blinding diseases. The specific triggers, hierarchy of molecular steps, and cellular interactions that promote these changes initially are still largely obscure. However, it is generally thought that Müller glia and microglia activation is secondary to distress signals and cellular debris following programmed cell death of photoreceptor or other neurons in the retina.