Altering RGC spiking might also influence the activity-dependent release of the neurotrophin BDNF, which is important in glaucoma pathology (Crish et al., 2013; Domenici et al., 2014; Gupta et al., 2014; Dekeyster et al., 2015; Valiente-Soriano et al., 2015), regulates the development of retinal ganglion cells and their brain projections (Marshak et al., 2007; Cohen-Cory et al., 2010; Nikolakopoulou et al., 2010), and is involved in homeostatic and experience-dependent plasticity of cortical neurons (Rutherford et al., 1998; Desai et al., 1999; Bracken and Turrigiano, 2009). The gene discussed is BDNF; the disease is glaucoma.