Journal Article

Visual Perceptual Learning Induces Long-Lasting Recovery of Visual Acuity, Visual Depth Perception Abilities and Binocular Matching in Adult Amblyopic Rats

Consorti, Alan, Sale, Alessandro, Sansevero, Gabriele, Torelli, Claudia, Di Marco, Irene, Berardi, Nicoletta

2022

Overview

Abnormal visual experience early in life, caused by strabismus, unequal refractive power of the eyes, or eye occlusion, is a major cause of amblyopia (lazy eye), a highly diffused neurodevelopmental disorder severely affecting visual acuity and stereopsis abilities. Current treatments for amblyopia, typically based on a penalization of the fellow eye, are only effective when applied during the juvenile critical period of primary visual cortex plasticity, resulting mostly ineffective at older ages. Here, we developed a new paradigm of operant visual perceptual learning performed under conditions of conventional (binocular) vision in adult amblyopic rats. We report that visual perceptual learning induced a marked and long-lasting recovery of visual acuity, visual depth perception abilities and binocular matching of orientation preference, providing a link between the last two parameters.

• Publisher: Frontiers Research Foundation
• Subject: Acuity / Animals / Binocular vision / Critical period / Depth perception / Early experience / Eye / Neurodevelopmental disorders / Occlusion / Operant conditioning / Orientation behavior / Strabismus / Visual acuity / Visual cortex / Visual discrimination learning / Visual perception / Visual plasticity