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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2021 Jun 18.

Published in final edited form as: Ann Nutr Metab. 2020 Jun 18;75(Suppl 1):34–42. doi: 10.1159/000508053

Figure 1. — Schematic representation of the difference between a critical period (panels a, b) and a sensitive period (panels c, d). Time/age moves from left to right. Note that, in a critical period, the period of malleability or plasticity is sharply defined as a box, with a clear beginning and end, and no gradient over time. In a sensitive period, the degree of plasticity is relatively higher but plasticity never ends. As a result, the end states from a critical period are irreversible or irretrievable, while in a sensitive period some degree of future enhancement or future recovery from harm is possible in the future.

Figure 1. — Schematic representation of the difference between a critical period (panels a, b) and a sensitive period (panels c, d). Time/age moves from left to right. Note that, in a critical period, the period of malleability or plasticity is sharply defined as a box, with a clear beginning and end, and no gradient over time. In a sensitive period, the degree of plasticity is relatively higher but plasticity never ends. As a result, the end states from a critical period are irreversible or irretrievable, while in a sensitive period some degree of future enhancement or future recovery from harm is possible in the future.