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Abstract #3284

Widespread Structural and Functional Brain Connectivity Changes and Behavioral Relevance in Glaucoma

Vivek Trivedi1, Ji Won Bang1, Carlos Parra1, Max K. Colbert1, Caitlin O'Connell2,3, Muneeb A. Faiq1, Ian P. Conner3,4, Mark S. Redfern3, Gadi Wollstein1, Joel S. Schuman1, Rakie Cham3,4, and Kevin C. Chan1,5

1Department of Ophthalmology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States, 2Department of Kinesiology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States, 3Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States, 4Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States, 5Department of Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide, yet its effects on the brain structure and function and the related behavioral relevance remain unclear. This study shows that glaucoma patients present reduced structural integrity in white matter around the supramarginal gyrus, as well as reduced functional connectivity between supramarginal gyrus and visual occipital and superior sensorimotor areas when compared to healthy controls. Furthermore, decreased functional connectivity between supramarginal gyrus and visual network was associated with changes in postural control. Taken together, our results suggest an involvement of altered brain coordination in the increased risk of falls in glaucoma patients.

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