# Blood flow and hemodynamics in  glaucoma

> **NIH NIH R01** · LEGACY EMANUEL HOSPITAL AND HEALTH CENTER · 2020 · $398,503

## Abstract

Project Summary / Abstract
Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness both in the US and worldwide, and is characterized by damage to and
loss of retinal ganglion cells. It is known that blood flow within the optic nerve head and retina are altered in
glaucomatous eyes. Flow may initially increase, but is eventually decreased in eyes with more severe
glaucomatous damage. The capillary density gradually decreases as the disease progresses. There is also
evidence of altered hemodynamics, in that the shape of the pulse waveform measured within the optic nerve
head differs between glaucomatous and healthy eyes. However, it is not yet known whether these changes occur
because axon loss has reduced the metabolic demand; or whether the changes contribute towards retinal
ganglion cell damage and death; or both. This proposal will examine in detail the changes in blood flow and
hemodynamics that occur at different stages of glaucoma. We will leverage new technologies to measure
different aspect of the vasculature, and relate them to disease status and progression, both individually and in
combination. In Aim 1, we will measure blood flow within the optic nerve head and as it passes through the
peripapillary retina, both to quantify the amount of flow and to measure and quantify the pulse waveform. This
will allow us to test whether the observed differences in flow in eyes that are considered glaucoma suspects are
an early part of the disease process that could be measured diagnostically, and/or reflect longstanding
differences that could be used to predict susceptibility to glaucoma. In Aim 2, we will also measure the systemic
pulse waveform in the same individuals. This will allow us to determine whether differences in hemodynamics
that could be measured diagnostically are localized to the eye due to pathophysiologic processes; and/or
represent a systemic risk factor for glaucoma. In Aim 3, we will measure the area of perfused blood vessels, both
in the optic nerve head and the peripapillary retina. This will allow us to determine whether flow is altered within
the remaining vessels after some of the capillaries have been pruned, potentially causing further damage.
Together, these aims will reveal multiple facets of the relation between vascular changes and glaucoma, and
answer major questions that have remained unresolved. Overall, the project will provide substantial advances in
both diagnostic tools and mechanistic understanding of glaucoma.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10031443
- **Project number:** 1R01EY031686-01
- **Recipient organization:** LEGACY EMANUEL HOSPITAL AND HEALTH CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Stuart Gardiner
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $398,503
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-30 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10031443

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10031443, Blood flow and hemodynamics in  glaucoma (1R01EY031686-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10031443. Licensed CC0.

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