Monocular deprivation in humans: a study of identical twins

Ultrasonic axial length measurements and psychophysical vernier acuity thresholds were determined for a pair of identical human twins, one of whom had been monocularly deprived since birth with a congenital lens opacity. Axial lengths of both eyes in the normal twin and the nondeprived eye in the other twin differed by less than 0.2 mm, whereas the axial measurement of the deprived eye was approximately 2.0 mm longer. Monocular vernier acuity thresholds in the nondeprived eye of the one twin were not significantly different from those obtained in the normal twin. Our findings are consistent with previous reports of increased axial length after monocular deprivation deprivation but do not support the concept of enhanced vernier acuity in the nondeprived eye of monocularly deprived humans.