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Optic Neuritis

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Neuroprotection and Neuroregeneration for Retinal Diseases

Abstract

Optic neuritis (ON) is inflammation of the optic nerve and is the most common type of optic neuropathy. There is a strong association between ON and multiple sclerosis (MS), an acute inflammatory demyelinating syndrome of the central nervous system (CNS). A large number of etiological factors have been identified for ON including genetic susceptibility, smoking, exposure to the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), and low exposure to sunlight. And the pathology of ON continues to be clarified with the advances in medicine and clinical peripheral devices. Since ON can cause severe visual loss, it draws much attention to detect the disease in early stage and finding a treatment that will restore visual function. In this chapter, the latest progress regarding the noninvasive detection methods for ON is summarized and current understanding of mechanisms underlying ON is reviewed, with references to MS. Lastly, existing drugs and chemicals that were developed for other therapeutic purposes are discussed as potential treatment strategies for ON.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Visual Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 156-8506, Japan

    Xiaoli Guo

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Correspondence to Xiaoli Guo .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan

    Toru Nakazawa

  2. Department of Ophthalmology, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Japan

    Yasushi Kitaoka

  3. Visual Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Inst of Med Sci, Tokyo, Japan

    Takayuki Harada

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Guo, X. (2014). Optic Neuritis. In: Nakazawa, T., Kitaoka, Y., Harada, T. (eds) Neuroprotection and Neuroregeneration for Retinal Diseases. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-54965-9_21

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