Department of Biology
Department of Biology
Dr. Xiaorong Liu, National Glaucoma Research grant recipient

Exploring How Glaucoma Affects Mood and Sleep Problems

Dr. Xiaorong Liu, National Glaucoma Research grant recipient

Exploring How Glaucoma Affects Mood and Sleep Problems
By: Shawn Radcliffe

Research News
Published on: September 18, 2024

People with vision loss from glaucoma often experience sleep problems or mood changes. A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that one in four adults with vision loss reported having anxiety or depression.​ Other research has shown that people with glaucoma have higher rates of sleep disorders, compared to those without glaucoma.​  

Shifts in mood and sleep may be due to physical changes caused by glaucoma in a certain type of retinal ganglion cells. BrightFocus Foundation National Glaucoma Research grant recipient Xiaorong Liu, PhD​,​ believes this may be the case. 

She and co-investigator Ignacio Provencio, PhD, are studying a specific type of cell known as intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells. These cells carry light information from the eyes to the brain for reasons other than vision, such as regulating sleep and mood, according to Dr. Liu. 

With this research, they hope to understand how changes in these cells due to glaucoma impact non-visual responses to light in glaucoma models. If successful, their research may one day lead to a way to relieve the light-related ​mood and sleep​ challenges of glaucoma. Read full story