Anushka Praveen

What are potential effective practices that can be taken to improve early detection, as well as methodical and efficient treatments for glaucoma?

Started Apr. 12, 2023

Abstract or project description

Glaucoma is a chronic neurodegenerative disease of the visual system. Over the course of the disease, deterioriation begins in the eye and spreads to the optic nerve, leading to eventual blindness if left untreated. This is likely caused by an increase in pressure due to improper drainage of fluids from the eye. Given that it houses the visual cortex, the occipital lobe of the brain also exhibits altered function as the disease progresses. The disease has various risk factors, including genetics, comorbidities, and old-age, although the definitive root is poorly understood. Assessment of various aspects of eye and optic nerve health can be utilized to diagnose glaucoma, however, these tests alone have been shown to not provide accurate objective results. There are a range of treatments available for glaucoma, although many come with harmful side effects and have varying efficacy. Given the lack of proper diagnostic measures and efficient treatments, there is a great need for improvement in these areas. In this paper, we will discuss potential approaches to improving both early detection and treatment of glaucoma. We will first review and summarize the current literature available on glaucoma diagnosis and treatment. Following that, we hope to study other brain changes seen in glaucoma patients and identify behavioral tests that can be used to recognize symptoms of glaucoma, later to be used for diagnosis. Lastly, we hope to explore technologies or methods that take advantage of the brain’s inherent visual processing abilities to potentially apply as a treatment for glaucoma.