Stimulus for rapid ocular dominance plasticity in visual cortex.
Although it has been known for decades that monocular deprivation shifts ocular dominance in kitten striate cortex, uncertainty persists about the adequate stimulus for deprivation-induced losses of cortical responsiveness. In the current study we compared the effects of 2 days of lid closure and 2 days of monocular blur using an overcorrecting contact lens. Our finding of comparable ocular dominance shifts in visual cortex indicates that deprived-eye response depression is not a result of reduced retinal illumination. The quality rather than the quantity of retinal illumination is the key factor for ocular dominance plasticity. These data have implications for both the mechanism and treatment of amblyopia.
Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
Cynthia D
CD
Rittenhouse
Beth A
BA
Siegler
Courtney C
CC
Voelker
Courtney A
CA
Voelker
Harel Z
HZ
Shouval
Michael A
MA
Paradiso
Mark F
MF
Bear
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D023882:Dominance, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D012683:Sensory Deprivation / Q000502:physiology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D015348:Vision, Binocular / Q000502:physiology; D015349:Vision, Monocular / Q000502:physiology; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*