Loss and enhancement of layer-selective signals in geniculostriate and corticotectal pathways of adult human amblyopia

Wen Wen; Yue Wang; Jiawei Zhou; Sheng He; Xinghuai Sun; Hong Liu; Chen Zhao; Peng Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110117

Loss and enhancement of layer-selective signals in geniculostriate and corticotectal pathways of adult human amblyopia

Cell Rep. 2021 Dec 14;37(11):110117. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110117.

Authors

Wen Wen¹, Yue Wang², Jiawei Zhou³, Sheng He², Xinghuai Sun¹, Hong Liu⁴, Chen Zhao⁵, Peng Zhang⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Eye and ENT Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China; State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Key Laboratory of Myopia, Ministry of Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Visual Impairment and Restoration, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
³ School of Ophthalmology and Optometry and Eye Hospital, and State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China.
⁴ Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Eye and ENT Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China; State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Key Laboratory of Myopia, Ministry of Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Visual Impairment and Restoration, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China; Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China. Electronic address: liuhongzef@263.net.
⁵ Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Eye and ENT Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China; State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Key Laboratory of Myopia, Ministry of Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Visual Impairment and Restoration, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China. Electronic address: dr_zhaochen@163.com.
⁶ State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei 230026, China; School of Ophthalmology and Optometry and Eye Hospital, and State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China. Electronic address: zhangpeng@ibp.ac.cn.

PMID: 34910903
DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110117

Abstract

How abnormal visual experiences early in life influence human subcortical pathways is poorly understood. Using high-resolution fMRI and pathway-selective visual stimuli, we investigate the influence of amblyopia on response properties and the effective connectivity of subcortical visual pathways of the adult human brain. Compared to the normal and fellow eyes, stimuli presented to the amblyopic eye show selectively reduced response in the parvocellular layers of the lateral geniculate nucleus and weaker effective connectivity to V1. Compared to the normal eye, the response of the amblyopic eye to chromatic stimulus decreases in the superficial layers of the superior colliculus, while response of the fellow eye robustly increases in the deep SC with stronger connectivity from the visual cortex. Therefore, amblyopia leads to selective parvocellular alterations of the geniculostriate and corticotectal pathways. These findings provide the neural basis for amblyopic deficits in visual acuity, ocular motor control, and attention.

Keywords: LGN; SC; amblyopia; fMRI; layers; magnocellular; parvocellular; pulvinar.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Amblyopia / pathology*
Case-Control Studies
Connectome
Eye Movements*
Female
Geniculate Bodies / physiopathology*
Humans
Male
Visual Acuity
Visual Cortex / physiopathology*
Visual Pathways / pathology*