Compensatory Responses to Glaucoma Pathology in the Dorsolateral Geniculate Nucleus

Authors

Shaylah McCool, University of Nebraska Medical CenterFollow
Arnav Jain, University of Nebraska Medical Center
Jennie C. Smith, University of Nebraska Medical CenterFollow
Victoria L. Schaal, University of Nebraska Medical CenterFollow
Gurudutt Pendyala, University of Nebraska Medical CenterFollow
Sowmya V. Yelamanchili, University of Nebraska Medical CenterFollow
Matthew J. Van Hook, University of Nebraska Medical CenterFollow

Document Type

Article

Journal Title

iScience

Publication Date

2026

Volume

29

Abstract

Glaucoma disrupts the conveyance of retinal signals to visual regions of the brain such as the dorsolateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) due to degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and their axons. Although plasticity during development allows altered visual experience to modulate dLGN synapses and excitability, evidence for experience-dependent dLGN plasticity in adults is limited. However, glaucoma might trigger compensatory plasticity in adult dLGN, thereby compensating for diminished RGC synaptic drive. Here, we tested this theory using aged DBA/2J mice, which develop high intraocular pressure and glaucoma. In brain slice recordings, we found that diminished RGC inputs could drive robust action potential firing in dLGN relay neurons that was comparable to controls. This was accompanied by increased intrinsic excitability and decreased magnitude of sustained inhibitory currents from delta subunit-containing GABA receptors. These results implicate multiple cellular and synaptic mechanisms that support signaling despite the diminished RGC inputs in glaucoma.

DOI Link

10.1016/j.isci.2026.115176

ISSN

2589-0042

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

McCool, Shaylah; Jain, Arnav; Smith, Jennie C.; Schaal, Victoria L.; Pendyala, Gurudutt; Yelamanchili, Sowmya V.; and Van Hook, Matthew J., "Compensatory Responses to Glaucoma Pathology in the Dorsolateral Geniculate Nucleus" (2026). Journal Articles: Anesthesiology. 26.
https://digitalcommons.unmc.edu/com_anesth_articles/26