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How to Obtain Reliable Visual Event-related Potentials in Newborns
Published on: October 24, 2019
Development of global motion perception requires early postnatal exposure to patterned light
Donald E Mitchell1, Jan Kennie, Diane Kung
1Psychology Department, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada. d.e.mitchell@dal.ca
Current Biology : CB
|March 17, 2009
Summary
Early visual experience is crucial for developing global motion perception. Depriving kittens of patterned light in the first 6 weeks caused lasting deficits in global motion but not simple motion perception.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Visual Perception
- Developmental Neuroscience
Background:
- Global motion perception relies on extrastriate cortical areas, unlike simple motion analysis in V1.
- Early visual experience, particularly patterned light, is hypothesized to be essential for normal global motion development.
- Congenital cataracts studies suggest a critical period for visual input in both eyes for typical global motion perception.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role and timing of early visual experience in the development of global motion perception.
- To determine if visual deprivation affects global motion perception differently than simple unidirectional motion perception.
Main Methods:
- Kittens were subjected to light deprivation or patterned light deprivation at various early ages.
- Behavioral assessments were conducted to evaluate global motion perception and simple motion perception.
- Long-term effects of early visual deprivation were monitored for over two years.
Main Results:
- Early visual deprivation (first 6 weeks) led to profound, long-lasting deficits in global motion perception.
- Perception of simple unidirectional motion remained largely unaffected by the same deprivation.
- Sensitive periods for visual deprivation in both primary and extrastriate cortex appear to be of similar duration.
Conclusions:
- Normal early patterned visual experience is critical for the development of global motion perception.
- The timing of visual input during early development significantly impacts the maturation of specific visual processing pathways.
- The findings challenge existing notions about distinct sensitive periods for different visual cortical areas.
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