Effects of monocular occlusion and diffusion on visual system development in the cat. 1987

W G Christen, and G D Mower

The effects of two forms of monocular deprivation (occlusion or diffusion) on visual system development were investigated. One group of cats monocularly deprived of all form stimulation but permitted diffuse light stimulation (diffusion, n = 4) during development showed a pattern of deficits similar to those reported for monocularly sutured cats. Most cells in the visual cortex were driven exclusively by the non-deprived eye and there were eye-specific deficits in X-cell acuity, proportion of Y-cells, and cell body size (binocular and monocular segment) in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). A second group of cats monocularly deprived of all form and light stimulation (occlusion, n = 4) during development showed a less severe pattern of deficits. There was no acuity loss in LGN X-cells driven by the deprived eye, and cell body shrinkage was of smaller magnitude than in diffusion reared cats and was restricted to the binocular segment. Cortical deficits and LGN Y-cell loss were similar in the two groups. The results are consistent with the idea that monocular occlusion produces only deficits due to binocular competition while monocular diffusion reflects the combined effects of binocular competition and abnormal stimulation.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D002415 Cats The domestic cat, Felis catus, of the carnivore family FELIDAE, comprising over 30 different breeds. The domestic cat is descended primarily from the wild cat of Africa and extreme southwestern Asia. Though probably present in towns in Palestine as long ago as 7000 years, actual domestication occurred in Egypt about 4000 years ago. (From Walker's Mammals of the World, 6th ed, p801) Felis catus,Felis domesticus,Domestic Cats,Felis domestica,Felis sylvestris catus,Cat,Cat, Domestic,Cats, Domestic,Domestic Cat
D005829 Geniculate Bodies Part of the DIENCEPHALON inferior to the caudal end of the dorsal THALAMUS. Includes the lateral geniculate body which relays visual impulses from the OPTIC TRACT to the calcarine cortex, and the medial geniculate body which relays auditory impulses from the lateral lemniscus to the AUDITORY CORTEX. Lateral Geniculate Body,Medial Geniculate Body,Metathalamus,Corpus Geniculatum Mediale,Geniculate Nucleus,Lateral Geniculate Nucleus,Medial Geniculate Complex,Medial Geniculate Nucleus,Nucleus Geniculatus Lateralis Dorsalis,Nucleus Geniculatus Lateralis Pars Dorsalis,Bodies, Geniculate,Complex, Medial Geniculate,Complices, Medial Geniculate,Corpus Geniculatum Mediales,Geniculate Bodies, Lateral,Geniculate Bodies, Medial,Geniculate Body,Geniculate Body, Lateral,Geniculate Body, Medial,Geniculate Complex, Medial,Geniculate Complices, Medial,Geniculate Nucleus, Lateral,Geniculate Nucleus, Medial,Geniculatum Mediale, Corpus,Geniculatum Mediales, Corpus,Lateral Geniculate Bodies,Medial Geniculate Bodies,Medial Geniculate Complices,Mediale, Corpus Geniculatum,Mediales, Corpus Geniculatum,Nucleus, Geniculate,Nucleus, Lateral Geniculate,Nucleus, Medial Geniculate
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012683 Sensory Deprivation The absence or restriction of the usual external sensory stimuli to which the individual responds. Deprivation, Sensory,Deprivations, Sensory,Sensory Deprivations
D014785 Vision, Ocular The process in which light signals are transformed by the PHOTORECEPTOR CELLS into electrical signals which can then be transmitted to the brain. Vision,Light Signal Transduction, Visual,Ocular Vision,Visual Light Signal Transduction,Visual Phototransduction,Visual Transduction,Phototransduction, Visual,Transduction, Visual
D014792 Visual Acuity Clarity or sharpness of OCULAR VISION or the ability of the eye to see fine details. Visual acuity depends on the functions of RETINA, neuronal transmission, and the interpretative ability of the brain. Normal visual acuity is expressed as 20/20 indicating that one can see at 20 feet what should normally be seen at that distance. Visual acuity can also be influenced by brightness, color, and contrast. Acuities, Visual,Acuity, Visual,Visual Acuities
D014793 Visual Cortex Area of the OCCIPITAL LOBE concerned with the processing of visual information relayed via VISUAL PATHWAYS. Area V2,Area V3,Area V4,Area V5,Associative Visual Cortex,Brodmann Area 18,Brodmann Area 19,Brodmann's Area 18,Brodmann's Area 19,Cortical Area V2,Cortical Area V3,Cortical Area V4,Cortical Area V5,Secondary Visual Cortex,Visual Cortex Secondary,Visual Cortex V2,Visual Cortex V3,Visual Cortex V3, V4, V5,Visual Cortex V4,Visual Cortex V5,Visual Cortex, Associative,Visual Motion Area,Extrastriate Cortex,Area 18, Brodmann,Area 18, Brodmann's,Area 19, Brodmann,Area 19, Brodmann's,Area V2, Cortical,Area V3, Cortical,Area V4, Cortical,Area V5, Cortical,Area, Visual Motion,Associative Visual Cortices,Brodmanns Area 18,Brodmanns Area 19,Cortex Secondary, Visual,Cortex V2, Visual,Cortex V3, Visual,Cortex, Associative Visual,Cortex, Extrastriate,Cortex, Secondary Visual,Cortex, Visual,Cortical Area V3s,Extrastriate Cortices,Secondary Visual Cortices,V3, Cortical Area,V3, Visual Cortex,V4, Area,V4, Cortical Area,V5, Area,V5, Cortical Area,V5, Visual Cortex,Visual Cortex Secondaries,Visual Cortex, Secondary,Visual Motion Areas
D014795 Visual Pathways Set of cell bodies and nerve fibers conducting impulses from the eyes to the cerebral cortex. It includes the RETINA; OPTIC NERVE; optic tract; and geniculocalcarine tract. Pathway, Visual,Pathways, Visual,Visual Pathway

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