Morphology of the optic nerve head and retinal nerve fiber layer and factors affecting them in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort

Evaluating the appearance of the optic nerve is an essential part of ophthalmologist's work. Differentiating a healthy optic nerve head from a damaged one can be challenging, because the appearance of a normal optic nerve head varies a lot in healthy population. In my dissertation I explore if there are associations between cognition, perinatal factors, anatomical and physiological measurements and the appearance of the optic nerve head. The effect of these factors seem to be of little predictive value and do not need to be considered in clinical work. Furthermore, the development of the optic nerve head seems to be well protected during pregnancy.