1

Visual
Pathways

Oliver Glenn C. Domingo, MD, PTRP, FPSOHNS

Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine
UERMMMCI

REFERENCES
Snell, R.S. Clinical Neuroanatomy, 6th ed.,
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2006.
Carague-Lansang, E.N., et al. Lansang Notes:
Modules in Neuroanatomy, 4th ed.,
UERMMMC: Quezon City, 2006.
Moore, K.L. and Dalley, A. F. Clinically
Oriented Anatomy, 5th ed., Lippincott
Williams & Wilkins, 2006.
Gilman, S. and Newman, S.W. Manter and
Gatzs Essentials of Clinical Neuroanatomy
and Neurophysiology, 10th ed., F.A. Davis Co.,
2003.
Netter, F.H. Atlas of Human Anatomy, 4th ed.,
Elsevier Saunders, 2006.

Objectives
Demonstrate knowledge &
understanding of the optic and visual
pathway.
Demonstrate knowledge &
understanding of the pupillary
apparatus.
Demonstrate knowledge &
understanding of the neuroanatomical
basis of ocular movements.

Objectives
Describe the supranuclear
mechanisms for ocular movement.
Trace the pathways involving the
saccadic, smooth pursuit and
vergence systems.

VISUAL SYSTEM
Eye & Retina
Optic nerves
visual
pathways

OPTICAL COMPONENTS
Cornea
Pupillary
opening of the
iris
Lens
Retina

 Cornea
Aqueous
humor
lens
vitreous humor

 FOVEA CENTRALIS

- a small depression at
the center of the macula
lutea

- cones
PERIPHERAL RETINA

- rods > cones

PHYSIOLOGIC BLIND SPOT

- corresponds to the
optic disc which has no
rods and cone

13

RETINA

RETINAL STRUCTURE
Outerlayer:rodsand
cones
Middlelayer:bipolar
neurons:horizontaland
amacrine.
Innerlayer:
ganglioncells.

VISUAL PATHWAYS
Bipolar neurons

MIDBRAIN

VISUAL PATHWAY

VISUAL PATHWAY
VISUAL FIELD

RETINAL FIELD

19

Anatomy of visual pathway

Right eye
Temporal

Left eye
Nasal

Nasal

Temporal

RETINOGENICULOSTRIATE
PATHWAY
Temporal retina

Nasal
retina

LEFT
Temporal retina

Optic nerve
Optic tract
Optic
chiasm
Optic radiation

Lateral
Geniculate
Body

RIGHT
HEMISPHERE

Temporal retina

Nasal
retina

Temporal retina

Optic nerve
Optic tract
Optic
chiasm
Optic radiation

Lateral
Geniculate
Body

LATERAL GENICULATE
NUCLEUS

Nucleus in the
thalamus
1 visual cortex
laminated

LATERAL GENICULATE
NUCLEUS

RETINOTROPIC
ORGANIZATIONS

Projection on
left retina

Projection on left
dorsal lateral
geniculate nucleus

Projection on
right retina

Projection on right
dorsal lateral
geniculate nucleus

OPTIC RADIATIONS

Optic Radiations and

Projections to the Primary
Visual Cortex
Geniculocalcarine
fibers

Meyers loop

upper part of the

contralat visual field

1 cortex

Broadmans Area 17

Lines of Gennari
Layer 4

StripeofGennariinarea17

RETINOTOPIC
REPRESENTATION OF THE
VISUAL FIELDS

Calcarine
sulcus

Calcarine
sulcus

VISUAL FIELD DEFECTS

(Lesions of optic pathway)

 What will happen if the left optic nerve is

severed?
What will happen if a person has a tumor in
the pituitary gland (just below the optic
chiasm) and the inner fibers are
destroyed?
What will happen if a person suffers a brain
tumor on the right side of the brain around
the lateral geniculate body?

CONFRONTATION TEST

VISUAL PATHWAYS
Bipolar neurons

MIDBRAIN

Connections of visual
pathway with midbrain
Pretectal nuclei
pupillary light reflex

Superior Colliculus & Medial

longitudinal fasciculus
lens accomodation, eye movements
other visual reflexes

ACCOMODATION REFLEX

ARGYLL ROBERTSON PUPIL

PUPILARY DILATATION

NeuroAnatomical Basis of
Extraocular Movement

vertical axis

Horizontal axis

AP axis

YOKE MUSCLE COMBINATION

CONJUGATE EYE
MOVEMENTS & THEIR
Conjugate Gaze
CONTROL
lateral
vertical gaze upward
vertical gaze
downwad

Vergence
saccades
smooth pursuit
Vestibulo-ocular
Reflex

CRANIAL NERVES
CONCERNED WITH EYE
MOVEMENT

SUPERIOR COLLICULUS

NEURAL BASES OF
EXTRAOCULAR MOVEMENT

Supranuclear level (cerebral

hemispheres & brainstem)

Frontal gaze center (area 8):voluntary

rapid eye movement
Occipital gaze center (areas 18 & 19):
smooth pursuit movement
PPRF: center for lateral gaze
RiMLF(pretectal region near superior
colliculus): center for vertical eye
movements

NEURAL BASES OF
EXTRAOCULAR MOVEMENT

Nuclear level

Nucleus of CN II and IV in the midbrain &

CN VI in the pons

Infranuclear level
CN III, IV, VI

TYPES OF EYE MOVEMENT

(PATHWAYS)

Fast saccadic eye movement

Slow (SMOOTH) pursuit
Vergence eye movements
Vestibuloocular reflex (VOR) eye
movements

SACCADIC SYSTEM
Horizontal voluntary
rapid eye movement
Broadman Area 8
contralateral PPRF
ipsilateral abducens
nucleus
ipsilat lateral Rectus

via MLF
contralat occulomotor
nucleus
contralat medial rectus

SACCADIC SYSTEM
Vertical voluntary
rapid eye movement
Broadman Area 8
pretectal (RiMLF)
occulomotor nucleus
SR, IR, IO

trochlear nuclei
SO

SMOOTH PURSUIT
Broadman Area 18, 19
internal capsule

Retifular Formation
pons

PPRF/RiMLF

ipsilat
abducens
trochear
nuclei nucleus

contralat
oculomotor
oculomotor
nuclei
nucle
Lateral
Rectus
Superior
Oblique

SR, IR,
IO
Medial
Rectus

SACCADIC AND SMOOTH

PURSUIT SYSTEM

VESTIBULO-OCULAR REFLEX

DOLLS EYE REFLEX

MEDIAL LONGITUDINAL
FASCICULUS

Demonstrate knowledge &

understanding of the optic and
visual pathway.
Illustrate
retinotopic
organizations
Name thethe
refractive
media
of the eye. as it
relates to the LGB and primary visual cortex
Trace the visual pathway (pathway of light to
Illustrate
the different visual
defects
arising
retinal
photoreceptors
to the field
primary
visual
from
lesions along the visual pathway.
cortex).
Describe the course and origin of optic nerve,
chiasm and tract.

Demonstrate knowledge &

understanding of the pupillary
apparatus.
enumerate
the changes in thenucleus,
eye that pretectal
occur
Locate the Edinger-Westphal
during
nucleusaccomodation.
and superior colliculus.
Trace the pathway for direct & consensual light
reflex.
Trace the pathway for accomodation reflex.

Demonstrate knowledge &

understanding of the
neuroanatomical basis of ocular
movements.

Describe the action of the extraocualr muscles

in relation to conjugate gaze.
Describe the supranuclear mechanisms for
ocular movement.
Trace the pathways involving the saccadic,
smooth pursuit and vergence systems.

 Thank You