Dysfunction of the magnocellular stream in Alzheimer's disease evaluated by pattern electroretinograms and visual evoked potentials

Functional assessment of magno, parvo and konio-cellular pathways; current state and future clinical applications

The information generated by cone photoreceptors in the retina is compressed and transferred to higher processing centers through three distinct types of ganglion cells known as magno, parvo and konio cells. These ganglion cells, which travel from the retina to the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and then to the primary visual cortex, have different structural and functional characteristics, and are organized in distinct layers in the LGN and the primary visual cortex. Magno cells are large, have thick axons and usually collect input from many retinal cells. Parvo cells are smaller, with fine axons and less myelin than mango cells. Konio cells are diverse small cells with wide fields of input consisting of different cells types. The three cellular pathways also differ in function. Magno cells respond rapidly to changing stimuli, while parvo cells need time to respond. The distinct patterns of structure and function in these cells have provided an opportunity for clinical assessment of their function. Functional assessment of these cells is currently used in the field of ophthalmology where frequency-doubling technology perimetry selectively assesses the function of magno cells. Evidence has accrued that the three pathways show characteristic patterns of malfunctions in multiple sclerosis, schizophrenia, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, and several other disorders. The combination of behavioral assessment with other techniques, such as event related potentials and functional magnetic resonance imaging, seems to bear promising future clinical applications.