Optic Nerve

"In this delightful autofiction―the first book by Gainza, an Argentine art critic, to appear in English―a woman delivers pithy assessments of world–class painters along with glimpses of her life, braiding the two into an illuminating whole." ―The New York Times Book Review, Notable Book of the Year and Editors' Choice The narrator of Optic Nerve is an Argentinian woman whose obsession is art. The story of her life is the story of the paintings, and painters, who matter to her. Her intimate, digressive voice guides us through a gallery of moments that have touched her. In these pages, El Greco visits the Sistine Chapel and is appalled by Michelangelo’s bodies. The mystery of Rothko’s refusal to finish murals for the Seagram Building in New York is blended with the story of a hospital in which a prostitute walks the halls while the narrator’s husband receives chemotherapy. Alfred de Dreux visits Géricault’s workshop; Gustave Courbet’s devilish seascapes incite viewers “to have sex, or to eat an apple”; Picasso organizes a cruel banquet in Rousseau’s honor . . . All of these fascinating episodes in art history interact with the narrator’s life in Buenos Aires―her family and work; her loves and losses; her infatuations and disappointments. The effect is of a character refracted by environment, composed by the canvases she studies. Seductive and capricious, Optic Nerve marks the English–language debut of a major Argentinian writer. It is a book that captures, like no other, the mysterious connections between a work of art and the person who perceives it.

‘A highly original, piercingly beautiful work, full of beautiful shocks... I felt like a door had been kicked open in my brain’ Johanna Thomas-Corr, Observer A woman searches Buenos Aires for the paintings that are her inspiration and her refuge. Her life -- she is a young mother with a complicated family -- is sometimes overwhelming. But among the canvases, often little-known works in quiet rooms, she finds clarity and a sense of who she is . . . 'I was reminded of John Berger's Ways of Seeing, enfolded in tender and exuberant personal narratives' Claire-Louise Bennett 'This woman-guide, who goes from Lampedusa to The Doors with crushing elegance, is unforgettable' Mariana Enriquez 'A dazzling combination of memoir, fiction and art book, like nothing you’ve ever read before’ Elle

In the opening chapter, the authors focus on the current understanding of mechanisms regulating retinotopic axonal projection within the retina, optic nerve, and optic chiasm during visual system development. The second chapter discusses the histopathologic features of meningiomas arising in the optic nerve sheath. The closing chapter intends to analyze evidence supporting the neuroprotective effect of two different strategies: the exposure to enriched environments and a treatment with melatonin, a very safe compound for human use.

Published to accompany an exhibition at the Columbus Museum of Art, Ohio, this book examines the development of the Op Art movement, its cultural context, and its widespread impact on advertising, fashion and film-making. It includes works by Josef Albers, Bridget Riley and Victor Vasarely.

This is the first practical reference book focusing only on common optic nerve disorders. The author discusses diagnosis, pathophysiology, management, and prognosis of complex optic nerve disorders. The book is organized by optic nerve diagnoses commonly encountered in a neuro-ophthalmologic practice. It is written in a clear, concise style for quick, easy reference in the clinic. Each chapter is formatted in a similar manner. Neurologists and ophthalmologists will find this book useful when they need a practical reference for incorporating optic nerve evaluation in their clinical practice.

Presents thirty-two stories that deal with a variety of characters, including a shy novelist who seeks out the girl he was obsessed with in high school, a lonely woman who loses her job, and high school outcasts.

"No attainment is ever final" Vascular disorders of the optic disc and nerve are important not only to the ophthalmologist but also to the neurologist and the internist. To the first specialty group they represent one cause of blindness or severe visual impairment; to the second group the optic disc edema and optic atrophy seen in these disorders can pose serious problems of diagnosis, or give indica tions of the involvement of the cerebral circulation; while to the last group they are frequently indicative of systemic disease, particularly of the cardiovas cular system. Recent advances in our knowledge of the blood supply of the optic nerve head have shed a significant new light on the subject. With the recent advent of fluorescein fundus angiography, an extra dimension has been added to the study of the ocular and optic disc circulations, and we have entered into a new era in the understanding of ocular vascular disorders "in vivo". In the pre-angiography era, postmortem injection studies, although very valuable, did not completely reveal the vascular pattern of the optic disc in the living, in health, and disease. The ophthalmoscope, without doubt, has been valuable in assessing optic disc lesions, but could not give us informa tion on the circulation of the eye and optic disc "in vivo".