Does dysthyroid optic neuropathy affect beyond the windows to the soul?

Excerpt

Ancient wisdom proclaimed that the eyes are the windows to the soul. This insight was later vindicated by neuroscientific evidence linking the eyes and the brain. Anatomically, the optic nerves connect the brain and the retina, the latter an extension of the central nervous system. Abnormal retina thinning can reflect neurodegeneration in the brain [ 1], whilst eye diseases can lead to brain activity abnormalities in vision-related regions [ 2]. Recently, Liu and colleagues [ 3] reported in European Radiology abnormal brain activities across multiple regions beyond the visual cortex in patients with dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON), a sight-threatening complication of thyroid eye disease, proposing a biomarker in the brain for the severe condition of the eyes. …