Physiological Aspects of Clinical Neuro-ophthalmology

Part I. The Visual Pathways: Visual acuity and visual field tests: psychophysical versus pathophysical objectives. Psychophysical testing of normal and abnormal visual function. Retinal representations in the prethalamic visual pathways. Physiology and pathology of the optic chiasm. Mechanisms of processing in primary visual cortex. Functional specialization in the visual cortex and its relation to visual agnosias. Residual vision following lesions of the retrogeniculate visual pathways. Neuronal mechanisms of face perception and their pathology. Visuo-spatial disorders. Visual agnosia: anatomical and functional accounts. Part II. The Ocular Motor System: Anatomy of the ocular motor nuclei. Brainstem control of horizontal gaze: effect of lesions. Brainstem control of vertical gaze. Cortical control of eye movements. Do the basal ganglia have a role in the control of eye movements? Smooth pursuit eye movements, optokinetic nystagmus and vestibulo-ocular reflex suppression. The vestibulo-ocular reflex. Oscillopsia and motion perception. Cerebellar movement in smooth pursuit eye movement generation: flocculus and vermis. Ocular motor phenomena in infantile strabismus. Electrophysiology of eye muscles. Part III. The Pupil: The afferent pupillary pathway. Pharmacology of the pupil. Transsynaptic changes in the sympathetic and parasympathetic innervation of the pupil. Part IV. The Fundus and Optic Nerve: Pathogenesis of optic disc oedema. The differential diagnosis of the swollen optic disc. Failure of retinal vascular homeostasis and its clinical consequences. Vascular pathophysiology in optic neuritis.