Sadun A A, Bassi C J
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles.
Ophthalmology. 1990 Jan;97(1):9-17. doi: 10.1016/s0161-6420(90)32621-0.
Optic nerves from ten patients with Alzheimer's disease were histologically examined and compared with those from age-matched controls. Specific and nonspecific measures of degeneration were noted in eight of ten Alzheimer's disease optic nerves; no degeneration was noted in any of the controls. Results of histologic examination of the retinas of one eye of three Alzheimer's disease patients also showed degeneration of retinal ganglion cells and their axons in the nerve fiber layer. Morphometric analysis suggested that in many cases of Alzheimer's disease, the optic nerve showed predominant loss of the largest class of retinal ganglion cells (M-cells) that contribute large caliber fibers to the optic nerve. The M-cell system is known to mediate specific visual functions, and selective involvement of the M-cell population leads to clinically measurable neuro-ophthalmic and psychophysical impairments in many Alzheimer's disease patients.
对10例阿尔茨海默病患者的视神经进行了组织学检查，并与年龄匹配的对照组进行了比较。在10例阿尔茨海默病患者的视神经中，有8例出现了特异性和非特异性的变性；对照组中未发现任何变性。对3例阿尔茨海默病患者一只眼睛的视网膜进行组织学检查的结果也显示，神经纤维层中的视网膜神经节细胞及其轴突出现了变性。形态计量分析表明，在许多阿尔茨海默病病例中，视神经中对视神经贡献大口径纤维的最大一类视网膜神经节细胞（M细胞）明显减少。已知M细胞系统介导特定的视觉功能，M细胞群体的选择性受累导致许多阿尔茨海默病患者出现临床上可测量的神经眼科和心理物理学损害。
