Fig 1. Multidimensional stress induces precocious development of the visual system.

(A) Eye Opening Index throughout early adolescence showing accelerated eye-opening in multidimensionally-stressed animals at P13, P14 and P15. (B) Photograph of a mouse in the shallow region of the visual cliff apparatus, observed to measure the precocious development of depth perception. Stressed animals spent significantly less time in the deep region of the apparatus, indicating increased perception of the visual cliff. (C) Stressed animals showed improved visual performance relative to non-stressed controls in the visuospatial testing box as measured by the optokinetic reflex. (D) Photograph of WFA⁺ cells, indicating the presence of PNNs, in the primary visual cortex of an adolescent control mouse. Stressed animals showed an increased abundance of PNN-expressing cells at the closure of the critical period for visual system development relative to non-stressed controls. Asterisks indicate significances: *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p<0.001. Error bars represent ± SEM.