Neurophysiological basis for visual distortions in amblyopia

Despite decades of research, the neural basis of visual distortions in amblyopia remains poorly understood. While numerous studies have reported abnormalities in both early visual cortex and extrastriate areas, these findings have rarely been integrated into a unified mechanistic framework. This review addresses that gap by proposing a dual-level model of cortical distortion in amblyopia: one level reflecting local feature encoding deficits in V1, and a second reflecting integration-level distortions in retinotopic extrastriate cortex. By synthesizing behavioral, neurophysiological, and imaging data from adult human studies as well as animal models, this review offers a coherent neurophysiological account of amblyopic visual distortions and outlines a framework for interpreting current findings and guiding future interventions.