Optic tract

Looks like

A band of visual fibres running from the optic chiasm backward around the midbrain to the thalamus.

What it does

Carries signals for the opposite half of the visual field from both eyes to the lateral geniculate body.

Keeping it well

Damage causes loss of the same half of vision in both eyes. Sudden vision loss needs emergency care.

Related conditions

• Amyloidosis (AL and ATTR)
• Botulism
• Chickenpox (varicella)
• Chronic neuropathic pain
• Chronic pain syndrome
• Fibromyalgia
• Glaucoma
• Guillain-Barré syndrome
• Idiopathic intracranial hypertension
• Lyme disease
• Multiple sclerosis
• Myasthenia gravis
• Neurofibromatosis type 1
• Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Pituitary adenoma
• Rabies
• Restless legs syndrome
• Shingles (herpes zoster)
• Tetanus
• Vitamin B1, C and other deficiencies