Non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is a relatively common optic neuropathy in adults over the age of 50, typically causing sudden, painless, unilateral vision loss and always resulting in swelling of the optic nerve head. Though several anatomic and vascular risk factors have been identified, much remains unknown about its pathophysiology and there is no proven treatment. This article reviews the risk factors, clinical presentation, and therapies that have been investigated for NAION. In addition, we provide an update from recent rodent and primate models, which offer new insight into the pathophysiology of this disease and provide a platform for treatment trials.
Keywords: Neuroprotection; optic nerve ischemia; optic nerve vasculature; primate models; rodent models.