Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1984 Jan;81(1):286–288. doi: 10.1073/pnas.81.1.286

Labile nature of the visual recovery promoted by reverse occlusion in monocularly deprived kittens.

D E Mitchell, K M Murphy, M G Kaye
PMCID: PMC344657  PMID: 6582484

Abstract

Kittens were monocularly deprived by closing one eye at the time of natural eye opening for periods that ranged from 4 to 14 weeks. This eye was then opened, and the other eye was closed for an approximately equal period of time. During this period of reverse occlusion, the vision of the initially deprived eye improved from apparent blindness to a level of good visual acuity. Surprisingly, however, this recovery was largely eliminated in only 2 weeks once the initially nondeprived eye was opened to restore visual input to both eyes. This finding has important implications for the nature of the mechanism(s) responsible for the dramatic physiological effects of monocular occlusion on the visual cortex. It may also help to elucidate recent observations on patching therapy in human amblyopia.

Full text

PDF
286

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Blakemore C., Hawken M. J., Mark R. F. Brief monocular deprivation leaves subthreshold synaptic input on neurones of the cat's visual cortex. J Physiol. 1982 Jun;327:489–505. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1982.sp014244. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Blakemore C., Van Sluyters R. C. Reversal of the physiological effects of monocular deprivation in kittens: further evidence for a sensitive period. J Physiol. 1974 Feb;237(1):195–216. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1974.sp010478. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cynader M., Timney B. N., Mitchell D. E. Period of susceptibility of kitten visual cortex to the effects of monocular deprivation extends beyond six months of age. Brain Res. 1980 Jun 9;191(2):545–550. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(80)91303-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Dews P. B., Wiesel T. N. Consequences of monocular deprivation on visual behaviour in kittens. J Physiol. 1970 Feb;206(2):437–455. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1970.sp009023. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Giffin F., Mitchell D. E. The rate of recovery of vision after early monocular deprivation in kittens. J Physiol. 1978 Jan;274:511–537. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1978.sp012164. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Hess R. F., France T. D., Tulunay-Keesey U. Residual vision in humans who have been monocularly deprived of pattern stimulation in early life. Exp Brain Res. 1981;44(3):295–311. doi: 10.1007/BF00236567. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hubel D. H., Wiesel T. N. The period of susceptibility to the physiological effects of unilateral eye closure in kittens. J Physiol. 1970 Feb;206(2):419–436. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1970.sp009022. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Jacobson S. G., Ikeda H. Behavioural studies of spatial vision in cats reared with convergent squint: is amblyopia due to arrest of development? Exp Brain Res. 1979 Jan 2;34(1):11–26. doi: 10.1007/BF00238338. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Jacobson S. G., Mohindra I., Held R. Development of visual acuity in infants with congenital cataracts. Br J Ophthalmol. 1981 Oct;65(10):727–735. doi: 10.1136/bjo.65.10.727. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Jacobson S. G., Mohindra I., Held R. Monocular visual form deprivation in human infants. Doc Ophthalmol. 1983 May 1;55(3):199–211. doi: 10.1007/BF00140809. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kratz K. E., Spear P. D. Postcritical-period reversal of effects of monocular deprivation on striate cortex cells in the cat. J Neurophysiol. 1976 May;39(3):501–511. doi: 10.1152/jn.1976.39.3.501. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Marg E. Prentice-Memorial Lecture: Is the animal model for stimulus deprivation amblyopia in children valid or useful? Am J Optom Physiol Opt. 1982 Jun;59(6):451–464. doi: 10.1097/00006324-198206000-00001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Mitchell D. E., Cynader M., Movshon J. A. Recovery from the effects of monocular deprivation in kittens. J Comp Neurol. 1977 Nov 1;176(1):53–63. doi: 10.1002/cne.901760104. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Mitchell D. E., Giffin F., Timney B. A behavioural technique for the rapid assessment of the visual capabilities of kittens. Perception. 1977;6(2):181–193. doi: 10.1068/p060181. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Movshon J. A. Reversal of the physiological effects of monocular deprivation in the kitten's visual cortex. J Physiol. 1976 Sep;261(1):125–174. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1976.sp011551. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Movshon J. A., Van Sluyters R. C. Visual neural development. Annu Rev Psychol. 1981;32:477–522. doi: 10.1146/annurev.ps.32.020181.002401. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Odom J. V., Hoyt C. S., Marg E. Effect of natural deprivation and unilateral eye patching on visual acuity of infants and children. Evoked potential measurements. Arch Ophthalmol. 1981 Aug;99(8):1412–1416. doi: 10.1001/archopht.1981.03930020286018. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Vaegan, Taylor D. Critical period for deprivation amblyopia in children. Trans Ophthalmol Soc U K. 1979;99(3):432–439. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America are provided here courtesy of National Academy of Sciences

RESOURCES