Abstract
Our research takes advantage of a natural experiment: children with a period of visual deprivation caused by dense, central cataracts. Longitudinal studies of their visual recovery reveal that even short periods of deprivation near birth cause lasting deficits not only in acuity but also in higher-level perceptual skills such as motion perception. The deficits are often sleeper effects that appear much later in development. They imply that the infant's early visual experience tunes the visual neural system to allow later specialization. When the experience is missing, deficits emerge later. Nevertheless, some potential for recovery remains even in adulthood--as revealed by video game therapy.
Meeting abstract presented at the 2016 OSA Fall Vision Meeting