The detrimental effects of monocular deprivation during early life are among the most studied phenomenon in neuroscience. The resulting reorganization of the visual cortex leaves the deprived eye compromised once it is uncovered. However, this week Iny et al., using rats, show a bidirectional and reversible enhancement of vision in the open (nondeprived) eye. The authors measured visual acuity by training rats to use computer-generated visual cues to escape a swim box. Control rats performed at criterion (?Y? 75% of trials correct) in response to a grating spatial frequency of 0.89 cycles per degree. After 5 months of monocular deprivation, rats suffered severe loss of acuity in the deprived eye. The threshold, measurable 3?C4 weeks after uncovering, was 0.20 cycles per degree and then improved further. However, acuity in the nondeprived eye acuity was enhanced to 1.20 cycles per degree before declining gradually to normal. Opening the deprived eye led to partial reversal, indicating that this plasticity persists into adulthood.
Karen Iny, Arnold J. Heynen, Erik Sklar, and Mark F. Bear
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