Basal ganglia lesions may be a risk factor for characteristic features of a glaucomatous optic disc: population-based cohort study in Japan

Background We conducted a study to investigate the relationship between optic nerve vertical cup-to-disc ratio (VCDR), body and ocular parameters, and brain lesions in middle-aged and above Japanese subjects, because although various risk factors for glaucoma have been previously characterised, it is theorised that there are unidentified neurological components.Methods In this population-based, age/gender-stratified, cross-sectional study that involved 2239 Japanese subjects (1127 men and 1112 women) aged 40 years and older (mean age: 59.3±11.7 years) living in the central geographical region of Japan who participated in the National Institute of Longevity Sciences–Longitudinal Study of Aging between 2002 and 2004, 4327 eyes and 2239 obtained MRIs of the head were evaluated. Multivariate mixed model and trend analyses were also performed.Results No significant relationship between VCDR and brain lesions, other than basal ganglia lesions, was found. VCDR significantly increased with the high grade of basal ganglia infarct lesions (p=0.0193) and high intraocular pressure (p