The neural signature of high myopia: structural and functional brain alterations and their cognitive-emotional associations
Beyond refractive error, myopia is increasingly recognized as a systemic condition with neurological implications, associated with visual dysfunction and structural retinal–choroidal alterations. This review synthesizes neuroimaging evidence demonstrating widespread neuroanatomical and functional br...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcell.2025.1634553/full |
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| author | Xuan Li Kuan Zhao Kuan Zhao Kuan Zhao Boling Deng Boling Deng Boling Deng Zhengzheng Wu Zhengzheng Wu Zhengzheng Wu Ling Wei Ling Wei Ling Wei |
| author_facet | Xuan Li Kuan Zhao Kuan Zhao Kuan Zhao Boling Deng Boling Deng Boling Deng Zhengzheng Wu Zhengzheng Wu Zhengzheng Wu Ling Wei Ling Wei Ling Wei |
| author_sort | Xuan Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Beyond refractive error, myopia is increasingly recognized as a systemic condition with neurological implications, associated with visual dysfunction and structural retinal–choroidal alterations. This review synthesizes neuroimaging evidence demonstrating widespread neuroanatomical and functional brain changes in myopia, including cortical thinning, white matter disorganization, and disrupted functional connectivity, which may be associated with changes in cognitive-emotional systems rather than just the visual system. Mechanistically, these neural signatures reflect experience-dependent neural plasticity, dopaminergic dysregulation in the retinal ON pathway, and non-image-forming disruptions mediated by intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, compounded by vascular dysfunction and impaired neurovascular coupling. Clinically, these findings highlight the importance of early neurocognitive risk assessment through multimodal imaging and psychological screening. By elucidating the retina–brain axis, this review bridges ophthalmological and neurological perspectives, guiding precision interventions for comprehensive, life-course myopia management. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d9b31888bc28491bb4fffdeadbc4d170 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2296-634X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology |
| spelling | doaj-art-d9b31888bc28491bb4fffdeadbc4d1702025-08-20T03:59:30ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology2296-634X2025-08-011310.3389/fcell.2025.16345531634553The neural signature of high myopia: structural and functional brain alterations and their cognitive-emotional associationsXuan Li0Kuan Zhao1Kuan Zhao2Kuan Zhao3Boling Deng4Boling Deng5Boling Deng6Zhengzheng Wu7Zhengzheng Wu8Zhengzheng Wu9Ling Wei10Ling Wei11Ling Wei12Department of Ophthalmology, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, ChinaGenetic Diseases Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Medical Genetics, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, ChinaDepartment of Psychological Medicine, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, ChinaDepartment of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, ChinaDepartment of Ophthalmology, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, ChinaGenetic Diseases Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Medical Genetics, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, ChinaResearch Unit for Blindness Prevention of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU026), Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, ChinaDepartment of Ophthalmology, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, ChinaGenetic Diseases Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Medical Genetics, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, ChinaResearch Unit for Blindness Prevention of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU026), Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, ChinaDepartment of Ophthalmology, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, ChinaGenetic Diseases Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Medical Genetics, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, ChinaResearch Unit for Blindness Prevention of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU026), Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, ChinaBeyond refractive error, myopia is increasingly recognized as a systemic condition with neurological implications, associated with visual dysfunction and structural retinal–choroidal alterations. This review synthesizes neuroimaging evidence demonstrating widespread neuroanatomical and functional brain changes in myopia, including cortical thinning, white matter disorganization, and disrupted functional connectivity, which may be associated with changes in cognitive-emotional systems rather than just the visual system. Mechanistically, these neural signatures reflect experience-dependent neural plasticity, dopaminergic dysregulation in the retinal ON pathway, and non-image-forming disruptions mediated by intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, compounded by vascular dysfunction and impaired neurovascular coupling. Clinically, these findings highlight the importance of early neurocognitive risk assessment through multimodal imaging and psychological screening. By elucidating the retina–brain axis, this review bridges ophthalmological and neurological perspectives, guiding precision interventions for comprehensive, life-course myopia management.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcell.2025.1634553/fullmyopiabrain functionscognitionemotioncortical thinning |
| spellingShingle | Xuan Li Kuan Zhao Kuan Zhao Kuan Zhao Boling Deng Boling Deng Boling Deng Zhengzheng Wu Zhengzheng Wu Zhengzheng Wu Ling Wei Ling Wei Ling Wei The neural signature of high myopia: structural and functional brain alterations and their cognitive-emotional associations Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology myopia brain functions cognition emotion cortical thinning |
| title | The neural signature of high myopia: structural and functional brain alterations and their cognitive-emotional associations |
| title_full | The neural signature of high myopia: structural and functional brain alterations and their cognitive-emotional associations |
| title_fullStr | The neural signature of high myopia: structural and functional brain alterations and their cognitive-emotional associations |
| title_full_unstemmed | The neural signature of high myopia: structural and functional brain alterations and their cognitive-emotional associations |
| title_short | The neural signature of high myopia: structural and functional brain alterations and their cognitive-emotional associations |
| title_sort | neural signature of high myopia structural and functional brain alterations and their cognitive emotional associations |
| topic | myopia brain functions cognition emotion cortical thinning |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcell.2025.1634553/full |
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