====== The Optic Chiasm ====== The optic chiasm[(Optic_chiasm>Optic chiasm[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optic_chiasm|Wikipedia]])] is an X-shaped structure created through the crossing of the brain's optic nerves. The optic nerve connects the eye to the brain. The optic chiasm is believed to be a turning point in evolution for biologists. Crossing and uncrossing optic nerve fibres travelling through the optic chiasm are believed to have evolved in a way that supports binocular vision and eye-hand coordination. Damage to this area may cause partial or total blindness. ===== Anatomy of the Optic Chiasm =====
{{:optical-transformations.png?200 |Transformations of the visual field towards the visual map on the primary visual cortex in vertebrates.}}[[https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Optical-transformations.png|Marc de Lussanet]] · //Optical Transformations// · [[https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en|CC-BY-SA-4.0]]
Nerve fibres from half of each retina at the optic chiasm cross over to the brain's opposite side. The other half of the retina's fibres travel to the same part of the brain. Each half of the brain receives visual signals from both eyes because of this intersection. The optic chiasm extends at the level of the caudal border of the suprachiasmatic nucleus from the ventral surface of the caudal portion of the pre-optic area to the hypothalamus. The optic chiasm straddles the suprachiasmatic nucleus and the third ventricle directly. The optic tract passes to wrap around the hypothalamus and diencephalon laterally and caudally. The hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus lies above the lateral edge of the optic tract. In addition, the optic tract lies medial to the lateral hypothalamus and cerebral peduncle and lateral to the medial nucleus of the amygdala. ===== Vision and the Optic Chiasm ===== Ganglion cell axons converge on the retinal region called the papilla or optic disc. They leave the globe as the optic nerve, where they maintain an orderly arrangement in the sense that fibres from the retina's macular zone occupy the central portion, fibres from the temporal half of the retina occupy a concentrated position; partial decussion (crossover) occurs outside of the orbit. The outcome of partial decussation is that an object in, say, the right visual field produces signals in both eyes that are transferred only to the left side of the brain. Vision has been proposed as a mechanism for controlling movement at a distance. The human visual system has an unusually high proportion of retinal ganglion cells (roughly 45%) that do not cross the midline of the optic chiasm. One way to improve our understanding of bilateral brains is to examine their combined sensory systems. In the human visual system, the optic nerves usually converge at a location called the optic chiasm. ===== The Function of the Optic Chiasm ===== The optic chiasm plays a crucial role in the retinotopic representation of visual input and is situated above the pituitary gland, anterior to the pituitary stalk, and inferior to the hypothalamus. At the level of the optic chiasm, it is estimated that 53% of optic nerve axons, predominantly from the nasal hemiretina, decussate to join the strands of the contralateral temporal hemiretine forming the optic tract. This decussation enables the combination of visual input data from two halves of each retina receiving light from the same part of the visual field. ===== Chiasmal Syndromes ===== Chiasmal syndromes are caused by lesions or abnormalities of the optic chiasm that can severely impair vision or even cause blindness. The extent of vision loss is determined by the location of the lesion. Chiasmal syndrome can be caused by either intrinsic or extrinsic factors. Extrinsic causes include compression of the optic chiasm by factors such as a vascular aneurysm or a tumour, including a pituitary adenoma or meningioma. The most common cause of chiasmal syndrome is a pituitary adenoma. Chiasma thickening is one of the intrinsic causes. Gliomas and multiple sclerosis are the most common intrinsic aetiologies of chiasmal syndrome. ===== Pituitary Adenoma and the Optic Chiasm ===== A pituitary adenoma is the most prevalent disease affecting the optic chiasm. Pituitary adenomas are benign tumours. They cause no symptoms in many cases, but in some instances, they may influence vision, sometimes causing vision loss. As pituitary adenomas grow in size, they can put pressure on essential structures in the body, such as the optic nerve. Pressing the optic nerve can cause blindness, so eye-care professionals must detect pituitary tumours before vision damage is caused. The pituitary gland is about the size of a bean and is located behind the nasal region at the base of the brain. It lies under the optic chiasm. The pituitary, though small, regulates the secretion of many different hormone types. It helps to keep growth and development and controls a range of glands, organs, and hormones. Hormone changes can trigger significant changes in our bodies. ===== Optic Chiasm and Common Diseases ===== When an illness or lesion affects the optic nerve before it reaches the optic chiasm in the brain, the vision defect appears in one eye only and can affect the entire visual field of that eye. Sometimes people with a unilateral defect do not realise it until one eye is covered. This is because each eye's overlapping visual fields will mask the deficiency when both eyes are open. If a disease affects the optic tract after the chiasm, the person will have a visual defect in both eyes affecting the same half of the visual field. {{tag>Anatomy eyes vision brain}}