Monocular visual form deprivation in human infants.
A preferential looking technique was used to measure visual acuity in human infants under one year of age who experienced monocular visual form deprivation. Of the 14 cases reviewed, 9 infants had monocular occlusion as therapy for esotropia; 3 infants had unilateral opacities of the ocular media; and 2 infants had unilateral eyelid closure from infection or burns. Despite differences in exact mode of deprivation, the effects on visual acuity were similar. There was a reduction in visual acuity in the deprived eye and a simultaneous increase in acuity of the non-deprived eye. These effects of monocular deprivation were not permanent. Recovery occurred with reverse deprivation or by simple cessation of the deprivation.
D002386:Cataract / Q000150:complications; D004948:Esotropia / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D005141:Eyelid Diseases / Q000150:complications; D005556:Form Perception; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009988:Orthoptics / Q000379:methods; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D014792:Visual Acuity