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Electroretinographic responses and retrograde changes of retinal morphology after intracranial optic nerve section. A quantitative analysis in the cat

Experimental Brain Research volume 55, pages 483–493 (1984)Cite this article

Summary

Previous experiments have shown that the ERG response to alternating gratings vanishes gradually within 4 months after transection of the optic nerve, changes begin after 2–3 weeks. The response to gratings of low spatial frequencies deteriorates earlier than the response to gratings of high spatial frequencies (Maffei and Fiorentini 1981). Quantitative analysis of ganglion cell sizes in retinal wholemounts shows that ganglion cell shrinkage and ganglion cell loss begin at three weeks in the periphery of the retina, particularly in the temporal retina. The same morphological alteration subsequently becomes apparent also in the area centralis and the nasal retina, respectively. The main and early cell loss occurs among medium sized ganglion cells, supposedly the beta-cells. Among the alpha-cells only shrinkage is observed up to two months postoperatively. Light- and electron microscopic examination of cross sections through the retina show that pathological changes are restricted to the innermost layers.

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Author information

Affiliations

  1. Max-Planck-Institute for Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2, D-8000, München, Germany

    H. Holländer

  2. Institute for Neurophysiology CNR, Pisa, Italy

    S. Bisti & L. Maffei

  3. Anatomical Institute, University, Pettenkoferstr. 11, D-8000, München, Germany

    R. Hebel

Authors
  1. H. Holländer
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  2. S. Bisti
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  3. L. Maffei
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  4. R. Hebel
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Holländer, H., Bisti, S., Maffei, L. et al. Electroretinographic responses and retrograde changes of retinal morphology after intracranial optic nerve section. A quantitative analysis in the cat. Exp Brain Res 55, 483–493 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00235279

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00235279

Key words

  • Optic nerve section
  • Cat
  • Pattern ERG
  • Retinal morphology