Neuroprotection in Glaucoma: A Review
Keywords:
Neuroprotection, Glaucoma.Abstract
Background: Glaucoma, globally the second most common cause of blindness and the commonest cause of preventable visual disability, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease of the retinal ganglion cells and their axons .Neuroprotection is an evolving area in the management of glaucoma. This review aims to highlight the current neuroprotective agents under investigation and the promise they hold for future management of glaucoma.
Method: The available literature on the use of Neuroprotection in Glaucoma was reviewed using available journals and internet based search engines such as pubmed and Medline. Keywords employed were Neuroprotection and Glaucoma.
Results: There is ongoing research on neuroprotective agents in management of glaucoma. A few of the currently available anti glaucoma medications also have neuroprotective functions. The mainstay of glaucoma management however remains lowering of intraocular pressure. Nigerian literature on neuroprotection was not available.
Conclusion: It has become increasingly obvious that glaucoma represents a complex multifactorial disease that produces an accelerated rate of ganglion cell atrophy related to a numerous pathogenic mechanisms that not only most certainly involve IOP, but also include defective auto regulation and ischaemia; neurotrophic factor deficiency; glutamate mediated excitotoxicity, immune related phenomenon; intracellular calcium influx and free radical damage3.IOP lowering still remains the mainstay of treatment. Neuroprotection has promise for preventing retinal cell ganglion death independent of IOP.It therefore presents an exciting development in the pursuit for a treatment modality for this debilitating disease.
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