Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40470296›Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in neuroscience2025

Application of advanced diffusion MRI based tractometry of the visual pathway in glaucoma: a systematic review.

Loxlan W Kasa, Stephanie Donovan, Eryn Kwon, Samantha Holdsworth, William Schierding, Helen Danesh-Meyer

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in neuroscience, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Loxlan W Kasa *Mātai Medical Research Institute, Tairāwhiti Gisborne, New Zealand.
Stephanie Donovan *Centre for Brain Research, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Eryn KwonMātai Medical Research Institute, Tairāwhiti Gisborne, New Zealand.
Samantha HoldsworthMātai Medical Research Institute, Tairāwhiti Gisborne, New Zealand.
William SchierdingMātai Medical Research Institute, Tairāwhiti Gisborne, New Zealand.
Helen Danesh-MeyerMātai Medical Research Institute, Tairāwhiti Gisborne, New Zealand.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness globally, with emerging research suggesting that glaucoma-related degeneration may affect the visual pathway. Recent advancements in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offer promising non-invasive methods for evaluating glaucoma, including advanced diffusion MRI (dMRI) and computational techniques. One such technique is tractometry, which quantifies white matter (WM) microstructural properties. While the application of tractometry in glaucomatous patients is developing, several key studies have explored structural changes in the brain, particularly within the visual pathways, in individuals with glaucoma. This systematic review comprehensively evaluates the application of tractometry using advanced dMRI models and techniques to quantify WM in the visual pathway of individuals with glaucoma. Methods: PubMed-Medline and PubMed-Central were screened for articles published until April 11th, 2024. The studies based on patient cohorts affected by primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG), and normal tension glaucoma (NTG) with the following dMRI techniques and tract-specific analysis approach were included in this review: diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI), neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI), fixel-based analysis (FBA), and dMRI tractometry. Results: The selected seven studies incorporate tractometry and advanced diffusion models and techniques (DKI, NODDI and FBA), including DTI. Each study investigated microstructural changes along the visual pathway of glaucomatous patients, finding glaucomatous WM degeneration in the optic nerve (ON), optic tract (OT), and optic radiation (OR), as well as significantly altered WM connections between the brain's visual cortex and non-visual areas. Additionally, tractometric findings correlated with clinical measures of glaucoma, such as intraocular pressure, visual field loss, and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, indicating the potential that changes in tractometric parameters could provide a complementary marker of the disease. Conclusions: This review enhances our understanding of WM changes in glaucoma and highlights the potential for dMRI tractometry as a promising tool for early detection and monitoring of the disease. By quantifying WM changes, tractometry offers valuable insights not only into the visual pathway but also into brain regions affected by glaucoma. This could lead to more accurate diagnoses, improved tracking of disease progression, and the development of targeted treatment strategies.

Indexed as

diffusion kurtosis imagingdiffusion tensor imagingfixel-based analysisglaucomaneurite orientation dispersion and density imagingtractometryvisual pathway

Identifiers

PMID40470296
PMCPMC12133882

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.