VISUAL PATHWAY

BY

DR KELECHI DURUH
DEPT OF HUMAN ANATOMY
FBMS COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
UNEC
 VISUAL PATHWAY
• Neural path and connections within the central nervous
system, beginning with the retina and terminating in the
visual cortex.

2
 VISUAL PATHWAY
• Four levels of neurons conduct impulses from
retina to visual cortex:
 Rods and cones
 Bipolar cells
 Ganglion cells
 Lateral geniculate body
 VISUAL PATHWAY
• The peripheral receptors
for light are situated in the
retina.

• Nerve fibres arising in the

retina constitute the optic
nerve.

• The right and left optic

nerves join to form the
optic chiasma in which
many of their fibres cross
http://www.techcyn.com/upload/figure7-
to the opposite side. 12.jpg
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 VISUAL PATHWAY contd

• The uncrossed fibres of the optic

nerve, with the fibres that have
crossed over from the opposite
side form the optic tract.
• The optic tract terminates
predominantly in the lateral
geniculate body.

• Fresh fibres arising in this body

form the geniculo-calcarine
tract or optic radiation which
ends in the visual areas of the
cerebral cortex.
http://www.techcyn.com/upload/figure7-
12.jpg
5
 THE VISUAL FIELD AND RETINAL QUADRANTS
• With the head and eyes in a fixed • In other words the visual fields of
position, and one eye closed, the the two eyes overlap to a very
area seen by the opened eye great extent.
makes up its visual field.
• On either side, however, there is
• If the other eye is also opened a small area seen only by the eye
the area seen is more or less the of that side.
same as was seen with one eye.

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VISUAL AXIS
VISUAL AXIS
 THE VISUAL FIELD AND RETINAL QUADRANTS
CONTD.
• The visual field is divided into
right and left halves.

• May also be divided into

upper and lower halves of
four quadrants.

• Similarly, each retina can also

be divided into quadrants.

• Images in the field of vision

formed on the retina by the
lens of the eyeball are always Inderbir S. (2009) Textbook of Human 9
Neuroanatomy, Eight Edition.
 THE VISUAL FIELD AND RETINAL QUADRANTS
CONTD.
• If an object is placed in the right half of
the visual field, its image is formed on
the left half of the retina and vice versa.

• The two halves of the retina are usually

referred to as nasal (= medial) and
temporal (= lateral) halves.

• Left half of the left eye is the temporal

half, while in the right eye it is the nasal
half.

• Image of an object placed in the right

half of visual field falls on the temporal
half of the left retina, and on the nasal
half of the right retina.
 RETINA
• Contains the peripheral photoreceptors:
 Rods and cones
 Bipolar cells
 Ganglion cells
• Ganglion cells axons pierce the optic disc
emerging as the optic nerve
 RETINA

LAYERS OF THE RETINA

 OPTIC NERVE
• Axons of ganglion cells in the retina
gather together at the optic disc in the
posterior pole of the eye, penetrate
the sclera, and form the optic nerve.

• Outside the sclera, the optic nerve is

covered by extensions of the
meninges that ensheathe the brain. http://www.techcyn.com/upload/figure7-12.jpg

• The optic nerve enters the cranial

cavity through the optic foramen.

• Lesions of the optic nerve produce

unilateral blindness on the side of the
 OPTIC CHIASMA
• The two optic nerves come
together at the optic chiasma
where partial crossing of optic
nerve fibers takes place.

• Related to the hypothalamus

above and pituitary gland
below.

• Optic nerve fibers from the

nasal half of each retina cross
at the optic chiasma. Inderbir S. (2009) Textbook of Human Neuroanatomy, Eight
Edition.

• Fibers from the temporal

halves remain uncrossed.
 OPTIC TRACT
• The crossed and uncrossed fibers from both optic nerves join
caudal to the optic chiasma to form the optic tract.

• Run outwards & backwards from posterolateral aspect of the

optic chiasma.

Inderbir S. (2009) Textbook of Human Neuroanatomy, Eight Edition.

 THE LATERAL GENICULATE BODY
• A relay station on the visual
pathway.

Inderbir S. (2009) Textbook of Human Neuroanatomy, Eight Edition.

• Receives fibres from the retinae of
both eyes.
• Its grey matter is partially split to
form six lamellae separated by
nerve fibres.
• Layers are numbered one to six
from ventral to dorsal side.
– Laminae one, four and six receive
fibres from the retina of the opposite
side;
– Laminae two, three and five receive
fibres from the retina of the same
16
side.
 GENICULOCALCARINE TRACT AND VISUAL
CORTEX CONTD.
• Axons of neurons in the lateral
geniculate nucleus project to the visual
cortex in the occipital lobe via the
geniculocalcarine tract (optic
radiation).

• Fibers from the upper retina terminate

in the upper calcarine gyrus,

• those from the lower retina in the

lower calcarine gyrus,

• those from the macular area of the

retina posteriorly, and

• those from the peripheral retina Inderbir S. (2009) Textbook of Human

Neuroanatomy, Eight Edition.
VISUAL AND OPTICAL AXIS
 EYE REFLEXES
 Several unique neuronal pathways exert involuntary
control over vision to enhance visual function, aid cognitive
processing and for protection

DIRECT AND CONSENSUAL LIGHT REFLEXES

Perception of light in the eye causes narrowing of the pupil

The reflex that responds to the light impulse is direct light reflex
The reflex in the second eye is consensual
 Afferents travel through optic nerve, chiasma and through communicating
fibers with the pretectal nucleus relay to parasympathetic nucleus of
oculomotor on both sides which effects pupillary constriction
 EYE REFLEXES
 ACCOMADATION REFLEX.
When the eyes are directed from a distant to a near object,
contraction of medial rectus converge the ocular axes.
The ciliary muscle contracts and the lens thickens
 Afferent impulses transmit through optic nerve ,chiasma, tract,
lateral geniculate, optic radiation to the visual cortex and eye fields
of frontal cortex.
 From eye fields, cortical fibers descend to the oculomotor motor
and autonomic nuclei
 Motor efferents contract the medial rectus
 Parasympathetic signals causes contraction of sphincter
pupillae
 EYE REFLEXES
 CORNEAL REFLEX
Light touch on the cornea causes closure of the eye
lids.
 Afferent impulses from cornea and conjunctiva
travel through V1 to the main sensory nucleus of CNV
 Internuncial signals to the facial motor nucleus of
both sides stimulate efferents causing contraction of
orbicularis oculi
 EYE REFLEXES
 VISUAL BODY REFLEX
The autonomic scanning movement of the
eyes and head during reading
The autonomic movement of eyes , head and
neck towards the source of visual stimulus.
 Visual impulses follow the optic
nerve ,chiasma and tract to the tectospinal and
tectobulbar tracts then to the spinal cord and
cranial motor nuclei
 EYE REFLEXES
PUPILLARY SKIN REFLEX
The pupils dilate if the skin is painfully
stimulated by pinching.
 The afferent sensory fibers are connected
with the efferent preganglionic sympathetic
neurons of the 1st and 2nd thoracic segments
 The postganglionic fibers pass through the
internal carotid plexus to long and ciliary
nerves to cause pupillary dilatation
 CLINICAL CORRELTES
• Circumferential blindness: Ring-form blindness in the visual
field . Usually caused by optic neuritis
• Total unilateral blindness: loss of vision in one eye. Complete
section of one optic nerve
• Nasal hemianopia: Loss of vision in nasal visual field. Caused by
partial lesion in lateral side of optic chiasma
• Bitemporal hemianopia: Bilateral loss of vision in the temporal
visual fields. Caused by sagittal section of optic chiasma,
common with tumors of the pituitary gland.
• Contralateral homonymous hemianopia : Loss of vision in
opposite visual fields . Caused by lesions in the optic tract, optic
radiation or visual cortex
VISUAL FIELD DEFECTS
NDEWO NU

ESHE