Long- and short-term monocular deprivation in the rhesus monkey: effects on visual fields and optokinetic nystagmus

Monkeys with 1 eyelid sutured within 2 weeks of birth for 7 or 14 d (short-term monocular deprivation, n = 5) or for 18-26 months (long-term monocular deprivation, n = 5) were tested for visual and oculomotor function at approximately 2 years of age. Long-term monocularly deprived animals were behaviorally blind when visual inputs were restricted to the deprived eye. There was no sparing of the monocular segment of the visual field, and optokinetic nystagmus could not be elicited even with vertical stripes up to 15 degrees in width. These behavioral deficits could not be accounted for by optical or retinal abnormalities. In contrast, short-term monocularly deprived animals displayed normal visual fields and optokinetic nystagmus was driven by both eyes. Slow-phase gain was reduced and directional asymmetries were observed when optokinetic stimulation was restricted to the deprived eye.