Limited protection of the primary visual cortex from the effects of monocular deprivation by strabismus.

Competition between the two eyes for synaptic space is thought to play a crucial role in the developmental plasticity of ocular dominance in the primary visual cortex. This competition should be disrupted if geniculocortical afferents from the two eyes are spatially segregated. In kittens, strabismus was induced in one eye before the onset of the critical period; the effects of a brief period of monocular deprivation (MD) at the height of the critical period and subsequent recovery were assessed in a longitudinal study employing optical imaging of intrinsic signals. Results were compared with those from a control group without strabismus. MD caused a substantial loss of cortical territory dominated by the deprived eye in all animals. However, in the strabismic animals this loss was smaller than in the control group for the hemisphere contralateral to the deprived eye. When the deprived eye was reopened, recovery of cortical territory was remarkably rapid in all kittens, and close to pre-deprivation responses were attained within 3-4 days of reopening. However, kittens without strabismus exhibited a greater rate of recovery from MD. Moreover, recovery of visual acuity, as assessed by visually evoked potential (VEP) measurements, was slower and less complete in animals with strabismus prior to MD. Therefore, strabismus does not provide lasting protection against the effects of MD.